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The 
Groton  Avery  Clan 


Vol.   I. 


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The 


Groton  Avery  Clan 


By 
Elroy  McKendree  Avery 

and 

Catharine  Hitchcock  (Tilden)  Avery 

(No.   3112) 


Vol.   I. 


'Honor  thy  Jather  ond  thy  mother  ' 


'  1    ■    > 


9  } 


Cleveland 
1912 


.Ms: 

vdI.  I 


"I  am  one  of  those  who  hold  to  the  safety 
which  flows  from  honest  ancestors  and  the 
purity  of  blood." — Henry  Clay. 

"A  people  which  takes  no  pride  in  the  noble 
achievements  of  remote  ancestors  will  never 
achieve  anything  to  be  remembered  with  pride 
by  remote  descendants." — Lord  Macaulay. 

"These  sought  their  register  among  those 
that  were  reckoned  by  genealogy,  but  it  was 
not  found;  therefore  were  they,  as  polluted,  put 
from  the  priesthood." — Nehemiah,  vii,  64- 


K  41 


•    '    « •     ' ;  '  *  c     " 


I  dedicate  these  volumes  to  the  memory  of 

CATHA.RINE  HITCHCOCK  (TILDEN)  AVERY, 

who  was  born  into  the  Dedham  Avery  Clan,  who  married  into 
the  Groton  Avery  Clan,  and  who  did  more  than  her  share  in  the 
preparation  of  these  records.  E.  M.  A. 

Cleveland,  1912. 


iv  Introductory 


CONTENTS. 

Introductory :  Dedication,  Preface,  Explanatory. 

I.     The  Avery  Family  in  France  and  England 1 

II.     Avery  Coats  of  Arms 21 

III.  American  Avery  Clans 24 

IV.  The  First  Generation 27 

V.     The  Second  Generation 43 

VI.     The  Third  Generation 79 

VII.     The  Fourth  Generation 116 

VIII.     The  Fifth    Generation 159 

IX.     The  Sixth   Generation 240 

X.     The  Seventh   Generation 372 

XI.     The  Eighth  Generation 630 

XII.     The  Ninth  Generation 991 

XIII.  The  Tenth  Generation 1309 

XIV.  The  Eleventh   Generation 1424 

Appendix    1432 

Index   1465 


Introductory 


PREFACE. 

In  1881,  John  Denison  Baldwin  and  the  Rev.  William  Clift 
published  A  Record  of  the  Descendants  of  Capt.  George  Denison 
of  Stonington,  Connecticut,  the  culmination  of  labors  begun 
many  years  before.  Meantime,  Mr.  Clift,  whose  mother  was 
Nanc}'"  Avery  (No.  1257),  had  been  collecting  material  relating 
to  the  genealogy  of  the  Averys  of  Groton,  as  stated  on  page  530 
of  this  volume.  This  material  he  turned  over  to  Mr.  Homer 
D.  L.  Sweet,  whose  mother  was  Candace"  Avery  (No,  1583). 
For  thirty  years,  Mr.  Sweet  was  engaged  in  the  compilation  of 
The  Averys  of  Groton;  on  the  eve  of  its  publication  in  1894,  he 
died.  The  first  twenty-six  pages  of  that  work  were  written  by 
me  and  bear  my  signature.  On  the  fourth  page  of  the  preface, 
appears  this  statement :  "More  than  to  any  other  person  except 
Mr.  Sweet,  the  existence  of  this  book  is  due  to  Dr.  Elroy  M. 
Avery,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  who  assisted  materially  in  its  design 
and  character  with  both  pen  and  purse."  Similar  credit  was 
given  by  Mr.  Sweet  on  pages  484,  485,  and  502  of  his  work.  For 
Mr.  Sweet's  patient  and  persistent  labors,  the  members  of  the 
Groton  Avery  clan  are  under  lasting  obligation. 

For  various  reasons,  there  was  soon  a  desire  for  a  revision 
of  the  family  history  and,  with  rare  unanimity,  the  interested 
members  of  the  clan  were  willing  to  have  me  undertake  the 
work.  In  short,  no  one  else  seemed  willing  to  take  up  a  task 
that  necessarily  involved  much  labor  without  any  possibility  of 
pecuniary  remuneration.  Mr.  Sweet's  executor  sent  me  all  of 
his  genealogical  material,  much  of  which  was  unused,  and  gradu- 
ally my  wife  and  I  slid  under  the  big  load.  Blanks  and  circulars 
were  printed  and  distributed  as  widely  as  possible  among  the 
descendants  of  Christopher^  Avery.  For  several  years,  a  quar- 
terly magazine,  The  Avery  Notes  and  Queries,  was  printed  and 
sent  to  every  living  member  of  the  clan  whose  post-office  address 
was  known  to  the  editors. 


vi  Introductory 


In  addition  to  this  systematic  work  and  a  very  extensive 
correspondence,  repeated  pilgrimages  were  made  by  Mrs.  Avery 
and  myself  to  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  and  New  York,  where 
town,  church,  probate,  and  other  records,  vital  statistics,  town 
histories,  old  burying-grounds,  published  histories  of  other  fami- 
lies, etc.,  etc.,  were  studiously  searched.  The  greater  part  of 
this  work  was  performed  by  Mrs.  Avery;  as  an  expert  genealo- 
gist, she  was  decidedly  my  superior.  Her  familiarity  with  New 
England  local  and  family  history  was  unequalled  by  that  of  any 
other  person  that  I  ever  knew.  After  the  printing  of  our  family 
record  (No.  3112),  she  suddenly  died  on  the  morning  of  Decem- 
ber 22,  1911. 

While  this  search  was  going  on,  the  editors  were  fortunate 
in  finding  the  manuscript  genealogy  of  the  Rev.  David  Avery, 
the  first  historian  of  the  Groton  Avery  clan,  as  stated  on  page 
331  of  this  volume.  Mr.  Clift  and  Mr.  Sweet  had  no  opportunity 
to  examine  this  manuscript  which  has  solved  many  genealogical 
problems  and  pointed  the  way  to  much  valuable  information. 

This  present  edition  is  based  upon  the  work  prepared  by 
Mr.  Sweet,  amplified  and  corrected  according  to  the  best  of 
our  ability.  From  the  necessities  of  the  case,  the  record  as 
printed  by  him  has  been  accepted  by  us  as  correct  except  in  the 
cases  where  we  found  contradictory  evidence  that  seemed  con- 
clusive. Still  the  variations  from  his  work  doubtless  number 
several  thousand.  Most  of  these  variations  fall  into  one  of  two 
classes — additions  or  eliminations.  Concerning  additions,  no  ex- 
planation is  necessary;  they  have  come  from  almost  countless 
sources.  Concerning  eliminations,  a  more  careful  explanation 
seems  proper. 

The  present  editors  gradually  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
Mr.  Sweet,  with  a  natural  desire  to  enroll  in  the  Groton  Avery 
clan  every  Avery  that  he  could  find,  was  somewhat  too  much 
inclined  to  assign  the  more  or  less  remote  ancestor  of  some 
Avery  correspondent  to  the  position  in  the  Groton  line  that 
seemed  to  him  the  only  place  into  which  such  ancestor  could  be 
made  to  fit,  and  that,  in  some  such  cases,  his  assignments  were 
erroneous.  One  such  instance  is  here  cited  by  way  of  illustra- 
tion.   On  page  331  of  The  Averys  of  Groton  is  the  record  of  a 


Introductory  vii 


William  Avery  (Sweet's  No.  54),  the  alleged  seventh  child  of 
Abraham  Avery  (Sweet's  No.  18),  the  list  of  whose  children 
appears  on  page  327  of  that  book.  This  Abraham  Avery  is. 
identical  with  the  Abraham*  Avery  (No.  26)  of  this  volume.  In 
the  list  of  the  children  of  this  Abraham*  Avery  we  give,  at  the 
bottom  of  page  137,  conclusive  evidence  that  the  seventh  child, 
William-',  died  unmarried.  Our  discovery  of  the  will  of  this 
William-',  the  son  of  Abraham*,  made  it  necessary  for  us  to  cut 
out  the  record  of  Mr.  Sweet's  William  (Sweet's  No.  54)  and, 
with  him,  all  of  the  descendants  of  William's  son,  Benjamin 
(Sweet's  No.  105).  Fortunately,  Mr.  Sweet  did  not  assign  wife 
or  child  to  either  of  the  other  two  alleged  children  of  his  Will- 
iam. It  is  possible  that  this  Benjamin,  the  progenitor  of  a  very 
worthy  line  of  descendants,  may,  in  reality,  be  one  of  the  Groton 
Avery  clan,  but,  as  w^e  have  not  been  able  to  prove  it,  we  have 
been  obliged,  with  profound  regret,  to  leave  him  and  all  of  his. 
descendants  out  of  the  fold. 

After  years  of  preliminary  work,  and  after  offering  to  give 
all  of  our  genealogical  material  to  any  one  who  would  carry  out 
our  plans,  and  to  pay  a  bonus  of  several  hundred  dollars,  I 
announced,  in  August,  1900,  that  I  would  begin  printing  the 
family  history  when  I  had  received  orders  for  five  hundred  sets. 
of  the  work  at  $10.00  per  set.  That  was"  more  than  a  dozen 
years  ago ;  I  have  not  yet  that  number  of  subscriptions.  But, 
owing  to  a  campaign  for  subscribers  made  by  Trueman  Gardner 
Avery  (No.  2301)  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  I  was  sufficiently  encouraged 
to  take  my  chances,  and  the  work  was  begun.  This  history,  as 
delivered  to  subscribers,  contains  nearly  twice  as  many  pages  as 
we  estimated  when  the  price  was  fixed.  When  the  books  have 
been  delivered,  and  all  collections  on  account  thereof  have  been 
made,  The  Groton  Avery  Clan  will  represent  a  money  loss  to  me  of 
more  than  twenty  thousand  dollars.  I  do  not  regret  the  contri- 
bution ;  my  compensation  lies  in  the  freely  expressed  appreciation 
of  many  of  my  subscribers,  whose  patience  in  long  waiting  I 
cannot  sufficiently  admire.  Of  course,  there  have  been  much 
indifference  on  the  part  of  those  who  ought  to  be  interested,  and 
a  few  cases  of  rudeness  that  illustrate  the  fact  that  one  may 
have  descended  from  a  noble  ancestor.     Of  course,  there  have 


viii  Introductory 


been  many  answers  long  delayed  and  some  that  were  contradic- 
tory of  each  other.  Of  course,  the  compilation  is  not  satisfactory 
even  to  the  compiler;  in  the  nature  of  things  as  they  are,  such 
a  work  never  can  be  satisfactory  to  the  head  workers.  I  have, 
in  the  case  of  every  living  member  of  the  clan  whose  post-office 
address  was  known  to  me,  sent,  for  examination  and  correction, 
a  typewritten  copy  of  his  or  her  family  record,  with  explanatory 
circulars  and  a  self-addressed  return  envelope.  In  most  cases, 
I  sent  a  similar  copy  of  the  family  record  of  the  father  or  mother 
to  some  of  the  living  children.  After  allowing  ample  time  for  the 
return  of  such  copies,  the  necessary  corrections  were  made  before 
the  matter  was  sent  to  the  printer.  As  an  added  precaution, 
printed  proof-slips  were  sent  out  with  enclosures  as  before — the 
final  opportunity  for  additions  and  corrections.  After  taking 
such  unusual  pains  to  secure  complete  and  accurate  records,  I 
feel  that  they  who  failed  to  return  their  proof-slips  to  me  have  no 
case  against  me  if  the  record  as  printed  shows  error  or  omission. 
In  spite  of  our  best  efforts,  however,  this  history  has  many  errors 
and  defects ;  I  am  glad  that  no  one  else  will  find  as  many  of  them 
as  I  have  found. 

While  I  live,  I  shall  be  glad  to  act  as  a  genealogical  clearing- 
house for  the  Groton  Avery  clan.  Items  sent  to  me  should  refer 
as  directly  as  possible  and  by  number  to  some  record  printed  in 
this  edition.     For  example : 

No.  5175.  Born  to  Ralph  Whittledge  and  Edna  May 
(Wright)  Avery,  June  7,  1912,  at  Rocky  Hill,  N.  J.,  a  son,  Ralph 
Reginald  Avery. 

No.  5392.    Kenneth  Mordecai  Gilbert  was  b.  May  9,  1877. 

No.  3285,  iii.  Charles  Jacob  Avery  Masten  m.  June  26,  1912, 
at  Denver,  Colo.,  Helen  Adreon  Kirkland,  dau,  etc. 

I  will  file  such  items  in  numerical  order  and  save  them  for 
the  use  of  the  editor  of  the  next  edition  of  The  Groton  Avery 
Clan. 

With  thanks  to  all  who  have  lent  a  helping  hand,  I  welcome 
the  laying  down  of  the  labor  that  my  wife  and  I  took  up  nearly 
twenty  years  ago. 

ELROY  M.  AVERY. 

Cleveland,  Dec.  31,  1912. 


Introductory  ix 


EXPLANATORY. 

In  this  work,  the  following  abbreviations  are  used : 

b.  for  born.  s.  for  son. 

d.  for  died.  dau.  for  daughter, 

d.  y.  for  died  young.  m.  for  married, 

unm.  for  unmarried. 

As  a  general  thing,  when  the  name  of  a  town  is  not  followed 
by  the  name  of  a  state,  Connecticut  is  to  be  understood,  unless 
both  town  and  state  are  mentioned  in  the  same  family  record. 
Thus,  in  reading  record  No.  43,  on  page  153,  it  will  be  under- 
stood that  New  London  and  Groton  are  in  Connecticut,  while 
Oyster  Bay  is  in  New  York  as  stated  in  the  seventh  line  of  the 
paragraph.  Such  omissions  of  the  state  name  are  frequent  in 
the  earlier  chapters  of  the  book — before  the  dispersion  of  the 
clan  became  wide  and  general. 

The  family  records  are  arranged  in  numerical  order,  be- 
ginning on  page  27,  with  1.  Christopher^  Avery,  the  first  genera- 
tion of  the  clan.  The  record  of  this  first  generation  constitutes 
Chapter  IV;  the  record  of  the  only  child,  2.  Captain  James - 
Avery,  the  second  generation,  constitutes  Chapter  V.  The  names 
of  his  nine  children,  the  third  generation,  appear  on  page  78. 
The  name  of  each  of  these  ivho  became  the  head  of  a  family  is 
preceded  by  an  Arabic  figure,  and  the  records  of  such  children 
follow  in  numerical  order,  constituting  Chapter  VI.  Thence, 
to  the  end  of  the  genealogy,  the  records  of  each  successive 
generation  constitute  a  separate  chapter. 

If,  in  a  list  of  children,  a  name  is  preceded  by  an  Arabic 
numeral,  it  is  probable  that  a  fuller  record  appears  in  the 
chapter  next  following;  look  for  it  in  its  numerical  order.  If 
such  Arabic  numeral  is  not  prefixed  to  the  name,  it  may  be 
understood  that  the  record  of  that  child  ends  at  that  place. 


Introductory 


Thus,  on  page  137,  the  only  record  of  Mary%  the  second  child 
of  Abraham*  Avery,  is  given  in  that  place,  while  the  fuller 
record  of  Thomas",  the  third  child,  appears  as  No.  120  and  may 
l3e  found  in  its  proper  place  on  page  197.  The  names  of  the 
children  of  the  daughters  of  the  clan  are  not  thus  numbered ;  if 
the  records  of  such  children  (who  do  not  bear  the  Avery  name) 
were  included,  these  volumes  would  have  to  be  multiplied  and 
the  work  would  be,  not  an  Avery  genealogy,  but  an  incomplete 
record  of  the  descendants  of  Christopher^  Avery.  Of  course, 
some  limit  must  be  fixed,  but  special  pains  have  been  taken  to 
make  it  easy  for  such  descendants  as  do  not  bear  the  name  to 
"catch  on"  to  the  Groton  Avery  line.  In  a  few  cases,  a  number 
in  Arabic  figures  has  been  given  in  the  list  of  children  and  the 
further  record  not  given — for  the  reason  that  our  expectations 
of  getting  the  information  needed  for  such  fuller  record  were 
not  realized.  See  No.  803.  In  each  family  record,  the  name 
thus  numbered  and  the  name  of  husband  or  wife  are  printed 
in  black-face  type  that  easily  catch  the  eye.  In  the  first  line  of 
each  record,  the  names  printed  in  parentheses  and  in  italic  type, 
indicate  the  ancestral  line  back  to  Christopher^  The  small 
figures  following  a  given  name  and  raised  above  the  line  indicate 
the  number  of  the  generation  as  counted  down  from  Christo- 
pher\ 

In  some  cases,  defective  or  erroneous  information  furnished 
by  one  correspondent  was  amplified  or  corrected  by  another 
<;orrespondent  after  the  printing  of  the  record  first  sent  to  us. 
To  make,  under  such  conditions,  the  best  possible  use  of  such 
later  information,  we  have  accepted  certain  irregularities,  illus- 
trated by  records  No.  1714a  and  No.  1715a,  on  page  643  (com- 
pare with  record  No.  688  on  page  386),  and  by  "Editorial 
Notes"  like  those  on  pages  830  and  999.  See  the  "Memoranda" 
on  p.  1455. 

There  is  a  single  alphabetical  index  to  the  names  (Mr. 
Sweet  had  a  dozen).  We  have  taken  great  care  to  make  the  list 
as  full  and  accurate  as  possible.  Little  difficulty  will  be  ex- 
perienced in  finding  the  record  of  Aaron  Alonzo  Avery  or  of 
Elizabeth  Avery  Meriwether,  or  of  any  other  one  whose  name 
is  complete  and  not  too  common.    It  may  not  be  so  easy  to  find 


i 


Introductory  xi 


the  record  of  a  desired  Albert  Avery  or  of  a  Charles  H.  Avery. 
But  if  you  know  that  you  want  the  record  of  Albert  Brewster 
Avery  or  of  Charles  Hedding  Avery,  the  search  will  not  be  long. 
Even  if  you  want  a  certain  John  Avery  or  a  certain  William 
Avery,  the  generation  numbers  given  with  the  names  will  assist, 
if  you  have  some  idea  of  the  time  when  the  person  lived.  If  you 
know  the  name  of  the  wife  or  of  the  husband  of  the  person  whose 
record  you  are  seeking,  you  may,  in  such  cases,  save  time  by 
looking  for  that  name  in  the  index.  For  instance,  if  you  want 
to  find  the  record  of  William  Avery  who  married  Martha 
Stewart,  the  index,  which  contains  the  name  of  only  one  Martha 
Stewart,  will  refer  you  to  page  358  for  her  record  which  is 
identical  with  her  husband's.  Similarly,  if  you  want  the  record 
of  Elizabeth  Avery  who  married  John  Owen  Miner,  you  will 
find  her  record  most  easily  by  looking  for  his  name  in  the  index, 
for  we  have  many  Elizabeth  Averys  recorded  and  few  John 
Owen  Miners.  In  other  cases,  you  may  have  to  examine  numer- 
ous records  before  you  find  the  one  you  desire.  When  once  found, 
the  line  of  ancestors  or  of  descendants  may  be  easily  traced  by 
means  of  the  associated  Arabic  numerals. 


"There  is  no  better  heritage  than 
a  good  name  that  a  father  can  be- 
queath to  his  children;  nor  is  there 
in  a  family  any  richer  heirloom  than 
the   memory   of   a   noble   ancestor." 

James  Hamilton. 


II 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  AVERY  FAMILY  IN   FRANCE  AND   ENGLAND. 

The  origin  of  the  name  Avery  has  been  much  discussed. 
According  to  the  Patronymica  Britannica  it  may  come  from  any 
of  the  following: 

Aviarius—A  keeper  of  birds,  as  "avyries  of  sparrow-hawks, 
falcons,  eagles  and  herons, ' '  mentioned  in  the  Forest  Charter. 

Avery — A  place  where  forage  for  the  king's  horses  was  kept, 
derived  either  from  Aveyia,  oats  (Lat.),  or  Haver,  oats  (Anglo- 
Norman),  or  Aver,  a  northern  provincialism  for  a  working  horse. 

Yet  aft  a  ragged  cowte's  been  known 
To  mak  a  noble  aiver.— Burns. 

Alberic—A  German  personal  name.  Latinized  Albericus,  and 
softened  in  Norman  times  to  Aubray. 

It  has  been  claimed  that  the  name  Avery  came  from  Averum, 
derived  from  the  French  avoir,  to  have  or  to  hold.  Avares  is  the 
name  of  a  shepherd  tribe  of  India.  Avereland  is  the  land  of  the 
rustics.  The  French  Avarie,  the  Italian  Averie,  the  Arabic  Aivar, 
and  the  Persian  Angaria,  all  mean  forced  *  *  commandeering  of 
horses  for  government  purposes,"  later  applied  to  a  tax  on 
freight.  Every  Avery  is  at  least  equal  to  the  average,  both  words 
having  a  common  origin. 

H.  Barber,  in  British  Family  Names,  derives  Avery,  Every, 
Ivory,  from  the  same  word,  Ivry,  a  locality  in  Normandy. 

"  Hurrah!   Hurrah!  for  Ivry  and  Henry  of  Navarre." 

The  name  has  been  spelled  in  many  ways,  Avery,  Avrey, 
Auvrey,  Auerey,  Auvray,  Auery,  Averie,  Avyrie,  Averye,  Avaray, 
Avere,  and  possibly  Auray  and  Aurey.  The  letters  v  and  ii 
were  used  interchangeably  until  the  sixteenth  century.  The 
initial  E  has  also  been  used  for  A  in  nearly  every  form,  as  Every, 
Everie. 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


De  Magny,  in  his  history  of  Nobiliare  de  Normmidy,  men- 
tions a  family  of  Auvrays  of  Avranches  and,  in  another  place, 
gives  an  account  of  the  Aurays  of  the  same  locality  and  assigns 
to  each  the  same  coat  of  arms,  "a  lozenge  of  gold  and  azure." 
The  Aurays  originated  in  Brittany  (Bretagne),  in  the  town  of 
Auray,  and  were  illustrious  before  the  days  of  William  the  Con- 
queror. According  to  Norman  history,  members  of  the  family 
accompanied  William  into  England  in  1066  and,  in  1364,  other 
members  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Auray  which  put  an  end  to 
the  struggle  for  the  succession  to  the  dukedom  of  Brittany.  The 
Aurays  have  played  an  important  part  in  the  history  of  France 
and  have  been  honored  with  many  titles  and  emoluments.  The 
Avaray  family  was  an  ancient  one  known  in  Beam  from  the  thir- 
teenth century.  They  served  Louis  X.  and  Philip  the  Good.  The 
title  of  due  de  Beziade  was  conferred  on  the  eldest  son.  Claude- 
Theophile  Avaray,  due  de  Beziade,  born  in  1655,  was  lieutenant- 
general  in  the  French  army  and  died  in  1745.  Claude-Antoine 
Avaray,  born  in  1740,  was  deputy  to  the  states-general  from 
Orleans  in  1789  when  he  defended  the  monarchy.  He  was  obliged 
to  emigrate  but  returned  after  the  revolution.  On  the  accession 
of  Louis  XVIIL,  he  received  high  honors  and  a  fine  estate.  He 
died  in  3829.  His  son  Antoine-Louis-Francis  was  a  near  friend  of 
King  Louis. 

Ralph  Ivorie  was  in  the  duchy  of  Normandy,  1180;  Tuston 
Everie  was  there,  1198 ;  Prinet  Everie  had  safe  conduct  from 
Henry  V.  Ralph,  Nicholas,  and  Walter  Avery  were  in  England 
in  1272.  (See  The  Norman  People,  published  by  Henry  King  and 
Co.,  London,  p.  237.) 

The  Auvrays  were  and  are  numerous  in  Normandy.  William 
Auvray  was  at  Vaux  in  1463.  John  Auvray  was  living  at  Monti- 
villiers  in  1570.  Cyprien  Avray  was  alderman  at  Caen  in  1589 
and  left  a  son  James.  John  Auvray  of  Coutances,  lord  of  Vivier, 
ennobled  in  1576,  had  a  son  Francis  who  left  sons,  Francis, 
Phillipe,  John,  and  Robert.  In  1666,  all  the  rights,  titles  and  the 
coat  of  arms  of  this  John  Auvray  of  Coutances  were  confirmed  to 
Adam  and  Michael  Auvray.  Marin  Auvray,  lord  of  Villy  Bayeux, 
ennobled  in  1543,  had  descendants  confirmed  in  all  his  rights  in 
1666.  In  1667,  Peter  Auvray  was  confirmed  in  all  the  rights  of 
his  ancestor,  Nicholas,  who  was  ennobled  in  1597.  There  were 
also  Auvrays  in  Carentan,  Lisieux  and  many  other  Norman  towns. 


In    France    and    England 


(See  NobiUare  de  Normandie,  by  E.  De  Magny;  also  French  bio- 
graphical dictionaries. ) 

The  name  Avere  first  appears  in  England  in  the  Domesday 
Book,  on  pages  45  and  46.  This  book  contains  a  list  of  all  the 
estates  in  England  with  their  values  and  was  prepared  by  the 
authority  of  William  the  Conqueror.  It  was  completed  about 
1084.  From  the  translation  of  the  Domesday  Book  for  Exeter  we 
learn  that  "Baldwin  has  a  manor  called  Avera.  .  .  ,  William 
holds  of  Baldwin,  Avra.  .  .  .  There  are  ten  acres  of  meadow  and 
ten  acres  of  wood." 

From  the  twelfth  century  to  the  present  time,  Averys  have 
been  numerous  in  the  southwestern  counties  of  England.  In 
Cornwall,  Thomas  Avery  was  connected  with  a  suit  in  Bodmin, 
in  1310.  William  Avery  was  defendant  in  one  at  same  place  in 
1333.  John  Avery,  of  Bodmin,  married  Isoult  Barry,  whose 
father,  of  Wynscote,  died  in  1538.  This  John  Avery  is  supposed 
to  be  the  ancestor  of  the  Everys  of  Wycroft  Castle,  Devon. 
Michael  Avery  was  mayor  of  Bodmin  in  1544;  Thomas  Avery  had 
Johan  baptized  in  1560,  and  Thomas  in  1563;  Walter  Avery  mar- 
ried Orige  Williams  in  1569  and  Michael  Avery  died  the  same 
year.  John  Avery  was  in  the  parish  of  St.  Endillion  in  1465. 
Richard  Avery  owned  a  messuage  in  Trewigget  in  1543.  Thomas 
Avery,  a  royalist,  was  mayor  of  Liskeard  in  1659.  The  "Lay 
Subsidy"  tax  in  Tintagel,  in  1543-4,  show  the  following  Averys 
assessed  "pro  bonis":  Agnes  Auery,  ij  d  (i.e.,  two  pence); 
Johannes  Auery,  viii  s;  David  Auery,  iiij  d;  Thomas  Auery,  ij  d; 
Ricardus ;  Johannes  Avery,  ij  d.  In  the  long  list  of  Tintagel 
mayors  who  bore  the  name  of  Avery  were:  John,  1407,  1630,  1812; 
Thomas.  1605;  Richard,  1711,  1714,  1784,  1788,  1791,  1794,  1801; 
William,  1746.  Argent,  widow  of  Clement  Avery,  owned  a  farm 
there  in  1679  and,  at  the  same  time,  Christopher  Avery  had  a 
meadow  nearby.  Thomas  R.  Avery  was  lord  of  the  manor  at 
Minster  and  J.  R.  Avery  of  that  at  Farrabury.  Richard  Avery 
owned  "Honour  Manor,"  in  Boscastle  in  1844. 

In  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Saltash,  on  the  borders  of  Devon,  a 
mural  tablet  was  placed  in  memory  of  the  Avery  family  "long 
seated  and  widely  spread  in  the  south  of  Devon."  The  arms 
were:  ''Three  water  bougets."  A  similar  inscription  is  found  at 
St.  Mary's  Church,  Plymouth,  Devon. 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


Gerard  Avery  of  Lostwythiel,  Cornwall,  and 


Charle- 


brook,  covenanted  concerning  the  building  of  a  wing  between 
their  houses  in  North  street,  1345.  (See  Sir  Edward  Bering's 
Collection  of  Deeds. ) 

The  proceedings  in  chancery  in  1560  give  the  names  of  Thomas 
Averye  and  Robert  Avery  in  a  dispute  over  land  in  the  manor  of 
Cuttenbeke,  St.  Germans,  Cornwall;  in  1563,  the  name  of  Henry 
Avery  appears  in  a  dispute  with  William  Matthews  concerning 
houses  and  lands  at  Bossiney,  Cornwall. 

The  History  of  the  Deanery  of  Trigg  Minor  by  Sir  John 
McLean,  and  Notes  and  Queries  (particularly  volume  7)  contain 
many  references  to  the  Averys,  some  of  which  are  given  above. 

Jenephor,  dau.  of  Michael  Averie,  Truro,  Cornwall,  m. 
Everard  Edmondes,  before  1613.  Eward  Kestle  married  Johanna 
Avery,  16  Sept.,  1599,  Truro.  William  Avery,  gent.,  m.  Love- 
day  Courtenoy,  19  Feb.,  1609,  St.  Michaels,  Penkivel.  William 
Avery  was  burgess  of  Truro,  Cornwall,  Oct.  9,  1620.  (See 
Visitation  of  Cormvall,  1620.) 

Johes  Avery,  Guithian,  Cornwall,  m.  Emea  Randall,  28  Sept., 
1589. 

Below  is  given  the  result  of  the  search  made  for  us  in  the 
parish  of  Tintagel,  Cornwall,  England.  As  will  be  seen,  the 
name  Christopher  occurs.  This  search  was  made  possible  by  the 
generosity  of  Miss  Carrie  M.  Powers,  of  Decatur,  Illinois. 

When  Baptized 
Octr.  7 
Feb.  7 
Octr.  18 
August  7 
(?)  Sept.  10 

Deer.  9 
Mar.  29 
Nov.  26 
May  8 
Octr.  30 
Nov.  8 
May  25 
Nov.  17 
Nov.  8 
May  6 
Sept.  7 
Octr.  12 
Nov.  18 
Aug.  20 
Sept.  18 
Deer.  8 


Year 

Name 

Parent's  Name 

1583 

William 

Richard  Avery 

1583 

Thomsin 

John  Avery 

1584 

Jane  (base) 

Annie  Avery 

1586 

Willmot 

Richard  Avery 

1587 

John 

John  Avery  of 

1588 

Francis 

Richard  Avery 

1589 

Parcew 

Parcew  Avery 

1589 

Elizabeth 

WiUiam  Avery 

1590 

Lawrence 

John  Avery 

1591 

Ann 

William  Avery 

1591 

Jane 

Richard  Avery 

1592 

Theophilus 

Pascew  Avery 

1592 

EHzabeth 

John  Avery 

1594 

John 

Pascew  Avery 

1595 

John 

Thomas  Avery 

1596 

Theophilus 

Theophilus  Avery 

1605 

Edward 

Thomas  Avery 

1606 

Argent  (?) 

Edward  Avery 

1611 

John 

Francis  Avery 

1616 

Ellinor 

Clement  Avery 

1619 

Robert 

Clement  Avery 

1622 

Christopher 

Clement  Avery 

In    France    and    England 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Avery  marriages  in  Tintagel 
down  to  about  1630.     There  are  many  of  a  later  date: 


William  Avery    married  Willmet  Jeast,  11  July,  1588. 


Margary  Avery 
Annis  Avery 
Thomas  Avery 
Clemence  Avery 
Tomsin  Avery 
Margaret  Avery 
William  Avery 


Nicholas  Simons,  23  Jan.,  1588. 

Clemence  Battyn,  14  Oct.,  1591. 

Katharine  Brown,  12  Feb.,  1594. 

Elizabeth,  dau.  Laurence  Locke,  4  May,  1607. 

John  Martin,  10  July,  1609. 

Robert  Danger,  25  April,  1613. 

Honor  Abel,  29  April,  1628. 


Our  Christopher  Avery,  the  first  of  the  Groton  clan,  was 
found  in  Devon,  the  county  next  to  Cornwall.  An  account  of 
him  will  be  found  in  Chapter  IV.  Averys  were  very  numerous 
in  that  seaside  shire  and  it  is  probable  that  thence  many  of  the 
name  came  to  America.  William  Avery  held  the  manor  of  Coreham 
in  1270.  Walter  Avery's  name  appears  on  the  list  of  clergymen 
of  Bishop  Stapelden,  diocese  of  Exeter,  who  were  present  at  a 
meeting  at  Totnes,  near  Ipplepen,  December  22,  1313.  A  daughter 
of  Thomas  Avery  married  William  Tighman  in  1399,  In  the 
year  1582,  Phillis,  daughter  of  Richard  Avery  of  Barnstaple, 
married  Richard  Roberts.  She  died  December  30,  1630.  Her 
sister,  Joane,  married  Thomas  Stephens  and  her  sister,  Katherine, 
married,  first  John  Andrews,  second  Bartholomew  Chichester. 
In  Dowland,  North  Devon,  Robert  Avery,  gent. ,  buried  his  mother, 
the  "weif  of  Thomas  Stoffard  in  1600,"  his  wife  Thamasine  in 
1601,  and  wife  Johanna,  1612.  The  arms  used  were  those  of  the 
Averys  of  Dedham  (see  Chapter  III.).  December  21,  1613,  Robert 
Avery  of  Dowland  and  Ann  Chamberlyn  of  Dowland  were  mar- 
ried. In  Idysleigh,  John  Avery  married  Elizabeth  Copplestone  in 
1756.  Lady  Elizabeth  Avery  of  Devonshire  was  buried  in  West- 
minster Abbey  in  the  fifteenth  century. 

Among  the  marriage  licenses,  diocese  of  Exeter,  Devon,  in 
the  Bishop's  registry  at  the  cathedral,  is  found  the  following: 

"1615,   Sept.  26.     Richard   Englishe  of   Collompton  &  Joanna  Everye  of 
Totnes,  widow." 

This  Joanna  Everye  was  the  widow  of  Thomas  Everye  of  Totnes. 
Richard  EngHshe's  will  was  exhibited  at  Exeter,  13  Sept.,  1623. 
After  making  several  legacies,  he  left  the  residue  of  his  estate  to 
his  wife,  Joanna,  who  was  made  executor. 


6  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


The  Rev.  David  Avery,  in  his  valuable  manuscript  history  of 
the  Avery  family  in  America,  written  in  1800,  stated  that 
Christopher  Avery  was  a  kersey  weaver  from  Devon.  Thus 
guided,  and  at  the  expense  of  Trueman  G.  Avery,  of  Buffalo,  a 
search  was  made  in  Devon,  a  region  in  which  kersey  weaving  was 
the  great  industry  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Besides  items 
relating  to  Christopher  Avery,  the  emigrant,  many  records  relat- 
ing to  the  family  in  general  were  obtained  by  the  genealogist 
employed,  Mr.  C.  A.  Hoppin,  Jr.  They  are  given  here  to  help 
other  Avery  clans  and  in  the  hope  that  their  connection  with  the 
Groton  Averys,  if  they  have  any,  may  sometime  be  proved.  The 
index  to  the  wills,  inventories,  and  administrations  of  the  Averys 
in  the  courts  of  Devon  are  herewith  copied  to  about  1650: 

Archdeaconry  Court,  Exeter .  —  Chrlstiane  Avery,  Kenton,  1586,  will;  Robert 
Averie,  1593,  adm. ;  William  Averie,  Powderham,  1613,  will;  Joane 
Averie,  Powderham,  1620,  will;  John  Averie,  Westogwell,  1626,  adm.; 
Edith  Avery,  Kenton,  1636,  adm.;  John  Avery,  Exeter,  1652,  adm. 

Principal  Registry  of  Bishop  of  Exeter.— John  Averye,  Cheritan  Bishop, 
1579,  will;  John  Avery,  Tintagel,  1601,  adm.;  Lawrence  Avery,  Hart- 
land,  1607,  will;  Mary  Avery,  Tintagel,  1634,  will;  George  Avery, 
Petrockstow,  1634,  will;  Marquesse  Avery,  Hatherly,  1639,  will;  Peter 
Avery,  Hartland,  1648,  will;  Alexander  Avery,  Berinarber,  1650,  adm.; 
Lawrence  Avery,  Hartland,  1648,  adm. 

Consistory  Court,  Bishop  of  Exeter.  — Richard  Avery,  Tetcott,  1568,  will; 
Thomas  Avery,  Morchard  Bishop,  1577,  will;  Agnes  Averye,  St.  Ger- 
mains,  Cornwall,  1586,  will;  Alice  Avery,  Sandford,  1594,  will;  Law- 
rence Avery,  Hartland,  1606,  will;  Nicholas  Avery,  Sandford,  1621, 
will;  Thomas  Avery,  St.  Germains,  Cornwall,  1646,  will;  Edward  Avery, 
Swimbridge,  1633,  inv. ;  Margaret  Avery,  Sandford,  1640,  adm. 

Peculiar  Court  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Exeter. ^Thomas  Averye,  Daw- 
hshe,  1551;  Henry  Avery,  St.  Mary's  Church,  1559;  Gilbert  Averie, 
Topsham,  1606,  will;  John  Averie,  Heavetree,  1606,  adm.;  Mary 
Averie,  St.  Mary's  Church,  1606,  will;  John  Averie,  Heavetree,  1610, 
adm.;  Elizabeth  Avery,  Topsham,  1613,  adm. ;  Daniel  Avery,  St.  Mary's 
Church,  1616,  will;  John  Avery,  Topsham,  1639,  adm.;  Christopher 
Avery,  St.  Mary's  Church,  1705,  adm. 

Archdeaconry  of  Totnes.—Crispian  Everie,  1555;  Richard  Avery,  Jacob- 
stowe,  1555;  John  Avery,  Brodworthie,  1558;  Elizabeth  Avery,  Brod- 
worthie,  1559;  Helinora  Avery,  Jacobstowe;  Robert  Avery,  Sanford 
Courtney,  1567;  Stephen  Avery,  Hatherleigh,  1578;  Joane  Avery,  Ipple- 
pen,  1593;  Joane  Avery,  Sanford  Courtney,  1597;  Paveras  Everie, 
Brodhampton,  1593;  John  Averie,  1624;  Elizabeth  Everie,  Totnes,  1605; 
John  Avery,  Totnes,  1610;  Christopher  Avery,  Torbrian,  1613,  adm.; 
William  Avery,  Buckland-in-the-moor,  1619,  will;  William  Avery,  Brod- 
hempton,  1615,  will;   Richard  Avery,  Brodhempton,  1623,  will;  Simon 


In    France    and    England 


Avery,  Jacobstone,  1626;  Philip  Avery,  Hatherleigh,  1626;  Mather 
Avery,  Brodworthie,  1629,  will;  John  Avery,  Jacobstone,  1629;  John 
Avery,  Vigsboro,  1630;  Mai'gereta  Avery,  Tolton,  1636;  William  Avery, 
Brodhempton,  1645. 


Archdeaconry  Court  of  Barnstaple. — William  Averie,  Dolton,  1565,  will; 
Thomas  Averye,  Hartland,  1572,  will;  Elizabeth  Averie,  North  Taw- 
ton,  1573,  adm. ;  Matilda  Avei'ie,  Dolton,  1574,  will;  Elizabeth  Averie, 
Hai-tland,  1574,  will;  John  Averie,  Hartland,  1577,  will;  Marye  Avery, 
Hartland,  1580,  will;  Walter  Avery,  North  Tawton,  1587,  will;  Robert 
Avery,  Great  Torrington,  1594;  Joan  Avery,  Westle,  1597;  John  Avery, 
Nymettracy,    1601,  will;    Jane  Avery,  Torrington    Magna,  1602,  will; 

Avery,   1608;   Avery,   1610;    Avery,   1613;    Mabel 

Avery,  Torrington  Parva,  1620;  Edith  Avery,  1625;  Sylvester  Avery, 
1626;  Robbins  Avery,  1626;  Richard  Avery,  Northlands,  1631;  Elizabeth 
Avery,  Dolton,  1631;  Hugh  Avery,  1632;  Avecia  Avery,  Stanpolu, 
1640;  John  Avery,  Dolton,  1643,  will;  Jane  Avery,  Torrington  Parva, 
1643;  Robert  Avery,  South  Molton,  1645. 


Abstracts  of  Devon  Wills.— 

William  Averie,  Brodhempston,  weaver,  will  dated  27  Dec,  1615;  pro- 
bated Newton  Abbott,  April  23,  1615;  mentions  "Poore  of  Brod- 
hempston," wife,  sons,  William,  Richard,  dau.  Elizabeth,  and  John 
Huitt. 

Richard  Averye,  Brodhempston,  weaver;  will  dated  March  1,  1622; 
probated  Newton  Abbott,  April  22,  1623;  mentions  "pore  of  Brod- 
hempston," Cousin  Paveras  Averye  and  his  fower  children,  brother 
William  Averye,  Sister  Elizabeth  Avery,  Cousin  Joan  Whitbread  and 
her  three  children,  Goddaughter  Philip  Pearce  his  child,  Christopher 
Holmes  his  "twoe  children." 

Benjamin  Avery  administered  the  estate  of  William  Avery,  Brod- 
hempston, weaver,  April  17,  1645. 

Lyman  Avery,  Jacobstowe,  husbandman,  will  made  April  26,  1625;  he 
died  April  27,  1625;  mentions  wife  Jane,  son  James,  grandchildren 
Edward,  Richard,  Robert  and  Joanne  Avery,  dau.  Anne  Avery,  son- 
in-law  John  Small,  poor  of  Jacobstowe. 

Jane  Avery,  Jacobstowe,  widow,  will  dated  March  28,  1659;  probated 
Oakhampton,  July  10,  1661;  mentions  son  Maurice  Smale,  grand- 
children Joane,  Anne,  John  and  Simon  Smale,  son  John  Smale  and 
Mary  Speare. 

John  Avery,  Jacobstowe,  husbandman,  will  dated  Sept.  2,  1629;  pro- 
bated Nov.  24,  1629,  Totnes;  mentions  eldest  son  Edward,  William 
Van's  three  children,  Robin  Avery,  my  son  John  Lounsford,  cousin 
Jane  Smalle,  Mary  Avery,  John  Splat,  godson  Simon  Smale;  my 
wife. 

John  Averie,  Ugborough,  husbandman,  will  dated  Aug.  20,  1630;  pro- 
bated Dec.  30,  1630;  mentions  wife  Johane,  dau.  Mary  Avery,  sons, 
Edmund,  Richard,  and  William  Averie,  sister  Agnes  Mayner,  Elynor, 
wife  of  Thomas  Rocke  and  their  four  children. 


8  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Mathew  Avery,  Broadworthy,  will  probated  April  4,  1629;  mentions 
brothers  Robert  and  John  Avery;  sister  Edith  Avery,  Richard  Avery 
and  his  son  John,  Richard  Courtes  and  Precilla,  Robert  and  Thomas 
Courtes,  John  Courtes,  Joanne  Taylder,  Agnes  Avery,  Thomas  flfutts, 
poor  of  Brodworthy,  William  Gouldes  children,  Thomas  Penwarden. 

John  Avery,  Brodworthy,  yeoman,  will  dated  Oct.,  1665;  probated  Nov. 
7,  1665,  Totnes;  mentions  wife  Margery,  son  John,  dau.  Mary,  Rich- 
ard Dobell,  John  Coutis. 

Richard  Avery,  Highampton,  yeoman,  will  dated  June  1,  22  Charles  II. 
Probated  Jan.  17,  1670,  Totnes.  Mentions  sons,  James,  Richard, 
John  and  Edward  Avery,  daus.  Prudence,  Elizabeth  and  Mary;  god- 
sons Thomas  and  James  Avery,  goddau.  Joan,  son  Francis  deceased. 

Marie  Avery,  widow,  St.  Marie  Church,  will  dated  March  18,  1607; 
probated  March  30,  1608,  Exeter;  mentions  John  Philpe,  son-in-law, 
and  his  two  children,  John  and  Maria;  Susan  Melton  and  Maria  Cole. 

Gilbert  Averie,  Topsham,  tailor,  will  dated  Dec.  23,  1606;  probated 
Feb.  8,  1606,  Exeter;  mentions  wife  Joane,  son  Richard;  dau.  Marie, 
son-in-law  Jesse  Colleter,  brother  John  Avery  and  Cousin  Thomas 
White. 

Willym  Avery,  Powderham,  Jan.  23,  1613;  nuncupative  will;  probated 
Feb.,  1613;  mentions  wife  Elizabeth,  dau.  Mary,  Humfry  fforde  and 
dau.  Hester  fforde,  Philip  Turner. 

Joane  Avery,  Powderham,  widow,  19  May,  1620.  Probated  at  Exeter, 
June  21,  1620.  Mentions  brother  George  Pillaphing,  sister  Dunes, 
brother  John,  brother  Thomas  Pillaphing,  Alice  Stribbling,  wife  of 
Robert,  sister-in-law  Tauseon,  aunt  Tauseon  Harris,  George  Moles 
children,  Elizabeth  Glanfill,  Thomas  Kenwood,  Hester  Ford. 

Daniell  Averie,  St.  Mary's  Church,  sealer  and  fisherman,  March  20, 
1615.  Probated  March,  1616.  To  wife  Marie  Avery;  sons  Daniell 
and  WiUiam;  daus.  Margaret  and  Elizabeth;  son-in-law  Oliver 
Brown;  Henry  and  John,  sons  of  John  Brown;  Richard,  son  of 
Richard  Webber;  John  and  Mary,  children  of  Stephen  Langworthy. 

There  are  many  wills  of  a  later  date,  not  here  mentioned  as 
they  probably  have  no  bearing  on  the  American  Averys.  One 
exception  is  made  on  account  of  the  name: 

Agnes  Hutchins,  alias  Avery,  adm.,  Jan.  8,  1705-6,  on  estate  of  her 
son  Christopher  Avery  of  St.  Mary's  Church. 

The  search  in  the  prerogative  court  of  Canterbury,  London, 
revealed  but  three  wills  of  the  period  in  which  we  are  interested: 

Richard  Avery,  Newton,  1571. 
Richard  Avery,  the  elder,  Totnes,  1585. 
Catharine  Every,  1654. 

The  following  list  of  Devonshire  deeds  was  taken  from  the 
record  office,  Chancery  Lane,  London: 


In    France    and    England  9 

William  Everye,  Esq.,  buyer;  John  Burnard,  gent.,  seller,  premises  in 
Hemyoke,  1605. 

William  Everie,  Esq.,  and  others  to  Henry  Skilbrowe  and  wife,  premises  in 
Combesachesfield,  Silverton  and  Bradninche,  1606. 

Robert  Averye  to  Richard  Webber  and  wife  Dorothy,  premises  in  Garland 
and  Chulmeleighe,  1606. 

Humphrey  Evry  and  Jane  his  wife  bought  of  Richard  Estchwiche,  gent., 
premises  in  Chudleigh,  1608. 

George  Everie  and  Mary  his  wife  bought  of  Thomas  Marwood,  sen.,  prem- 
ises in  Honyton,  1613. 

John  Averye,  seller,  buyer  not  mentioned,  premises  in  Upcotte,  1612. 

A  few  more  Devon  items  remain  to  be  noticed.  The  church  at 
Crewys-morchard  contains  tombs  of  the  Avery  family.  At 
Witheridge,  Robert  Avery  and  wife  Anne  had  children,  Robert, 
John,  Joan,  Elizabeth,  and  Mary  who  married  John  Tristam. 
According  to  the  "Admission  Register"  of  Gray's  Inn,  Robert 
Avery,  son  of  Robert  Avery,  gent.,  Witheridge,  was  admitted 
April  6,  1657.  He  was  probably  the  same  Robert  Avery,  gent., 
son  and  heir  of  Robert  Avery,  gent.,  Witheridge,  who  matricu- 
lated at  Exeter  College,  Oxford,  Dec.  9,  1653. 

Baptisms  in  the  parish  church,  Barnstaple.— 

Year  Child's  Name  Parent's  Name 

1602,  Dec.  24  Rychard  Edwarde  Averye 

1605,  July  27  Alse  Edwarde  Averye 
1607,  Nov.  18  George  Edwarde  Averye 
1609,  Nov.  18  Francis  Edwarde  Averie 
1630,  Feb.  20  Valentyn  Richard  Avery 

Burials  in  the  parish  church,  Barnstaple. — 

1606,  July  18,  Alse,  daughter  of  Edwarde  Averye. 
1606,  July  10,  Mr.  Richard  Averye. 

Marriages  in  the  parish  church,  Barnstaple. — 

1582,  January  17,  Thomas  Palmer  and  Agnes  Avery. 

1582,  July  29,  Richard  Roberts  and  Phillis  Avery  (see  p.  5). 

1589,  April  21,  Richard  Avery  and  Elizabeth  Bartrain. 

Going  north  into  County  Somerset,  we  find  the  Avery  family 
still  numerous  and  important.  We  know  that  one  branch  from 
that  county  found  a  home  in  the  New  World.  The  following  pedi- 
gree is  prepared  from  the  "Herald's  Visitations,"  wills,  deeds, 
and  the  history  of  the  Dedham  Averys: 


10 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


SOMERSET   AVERYS  INCLUDING    THE  NEW  ENGLAND  BRANCH. 


I 
William    Avery,  =  Ann,  dau. 
of  Congresbury,         and  heir 

Co.  Somerset,  of 

d.  1585.  Irish  of 

Congresbury. 


Robert  Avery= 
of  Pill, 
d.  1575. 
(See  p.  11) 


Prudence  Avery 
m.  John 
Champion. 


Jacob  Avery,  of= 
Mell,  Somerset, 
1623;  m.    Dorothy 
dau.    Hugh  Whit- 
combe,  Dorset, 
Sherbourne. 


Giles.      Thomas. 


I  I  I 

William=      Richard.        John= 


Jane. 


Joseph. 


Sarah.  John. 


I  I 

William.        Joane. 


Samuel    Avery,  = 
Enfield, 
Middlesex, 
and  London, 
merchant,  m. 
Mariabella, 
dau.  Benjamin 
Bennet. 


Joseph  Avery,  = 
Huwish,  Co. 
Somerset,  Esq. 
eldest  son 
m.  Frances, 

dau 

Derds,  London. 
They  had  a  son 
Joseph,  who 
was  a  merchant 
in  London. 


Benjamin, 
of  Froome, 
Somerset. 


Annah, 
m.   Edw. 
Hobbs. 


Christian, 
m.  John  Irish. 


Hester. 


Dudley  Avery,  Esq. 
eldest  son 
Streatly,   Berks, 
m.  Jane  Large; 
2d,  Anna,  dau.  of 
John  Allen, 
Streatly,  Berks. 


William  Avery= 
second  son, 
gent., 
Enfield  and 
Middlesex ; 
m.  Susan,  dau 
of  Giles  Eyre, 
White  Parish, 
Wilts. 


I 
Barsheba,  m.  William 
Knipe,  Kendall, 
Westmoreland. 


Catharine,  m.  William  Lare, 
Cowley,  Middlesex,  Esq. 


Christian,  m.  Joshua 
Warren,  Colchester. 


Mariabella,  m.  John  Locke, 
Bristol,  Esq. 


Susannah. 


Catharine. 


Dudley.      Allen.      Samuel.      William.     Catharine. 


Barsheba.       Christian. 


Mariabella. 


In    France    and    England  11 

Robert  Avery  of  Pill,  who  died  in  1575,  is  the  progenitor  of 
one  clan  of  the  American  Averys. 

Robert  Avery,  Pill,  d.  1575  = 

I  I  I 

William  Avery^  Richard  Avery.  Thomas  Avery. 


Robert  Avery=  William  Avery.  Frances  Avery. 

William  Avery,  eldest  son,  came  to  Dedham,  New  England, 
about  1650.  See  The  Dedham  Avery  Genealogy  for  his 
descendants. 

Samuel  Avery,  of  Enfield  and  London,  was  sheriff  of  London 
in  1647,  alderman  in  1649,  and  joined  in  the  act  of  May  30,  1649, 
abolishing  kingly  power.     The  following  relates  to  his  son  Dudley: 

Dudley  Avery,  merchant  taylor,  bach. ,  23,  with  consent  of  his  father,  the 
right  worshipful  Samuel  Avery,  alderman  of  London,  and  Jane  Large 
above  16,  daughter  of  Thomas  Large,  with  the  consent  of  her  mother, 
Elizabeth  Whorwood,  Feb.  28,  1647.  {London  Marriage  Licenses, 
Harliean  Society,  2^  :  38. 

In  the  prerogative  court  of  Canterbury  many  wills  were 
proved  from  Somerset  County: 

Alice  Avery,  Yatton,  1572. 
John  Avery,  Westhuyake,  1571. 

William  Avery,  Congresbury,  Barnwell  and  Yatton,  1580. 
John  Everye;  Donyett,  1568. 

Alexander  Every,  citizen  and  clothmaker  of  London,  Bradwaye,  Somerset; 
Axminster,  Devon;   St  Michaell,  Cornwall;  Bredstreete,  London,  1589. 
John  Every,  Gent,  and  Sergeaunt  at  Armes,  Chaffcomb,  1585. 
Richard  Everye,  Pitminster,  1587. 
Thomas  Everie,  Hatche  Beacham,  1592. 
William  Every,  Chard,  Somerset  and  Devon,  1587. 

The  wills  of  the  above  Somerset  Averys  or  Everys  seem  to 
indicate  a  close  relationship,  as  the  following  will  show:— 

John  Every,  Broadway,  Somerset;  in  will  administered,  March 
21,  1576,  mention  is  made  of  a  son  Alexander. 

John  Every,  Chaffcombe,  Somerset,  gent,  and  sergeant-at- 
arms;  will  made  January  31,  1584;  proved  May  1,  1585.  He  men- 
tioned wife  Madelen;  sons  Thomas  and  John;  daus.  Elizabeth, 
Ellenor,  Madelen,  Agnes,  and  Mary;  cousins,  William  Avery  of 
Chard  and  Alexander  Avery. 


12  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Mary,  daughter  of  John  Every  of  Chaff  combe,  married  Wil- 
liam, the  son  of  Arthur  Raymond.  Mary  Raymond  of  Illchester, 
widow,  in  will  made  Aug.  26,  1639,  proved  Nov.  15,  1639,  men- 
tioned "my  cousin  Simon  Every  and  his  eldest  son." 

In  Illchester  Church  is  this  monumental  inscription:— 

"Near  this  place  lyeth  the  body  of  Mary  Raymond,  etc.,  dau.  of  John 
Every,  Esq.,  servant  to  Henry  VIII,  &  servant  to  Edward  VI,  Queen 
Mary,  and  serjant  at  arms  to  Queen  Elizabeth." 

John  Barnarde  of  Downside,  Somerset,  in  will  made  Sept.  9, 
1622,  mentioned  Mary  and  William  Raymond  and  "my  brother 
Jacob  Averie. " 

William  Every  of  Chard,  merchant;  will  made  January  10, 
1587;  proved  March  7,  1587-8  by  Alexander  Everie;  adm.  granted 
May  5,  1591,  to  John  Every,  brother  of  the  deceased.  He  left  his 
wife,  Agnes,  an  annuity  of  £80  and  various  goods;  to  his  brother, 
Alexander  Every,  cloth  maker  of  London,  all  his  lands;  to  his 
brother,  John  Every  of  Broadway,  £20;  to  Thomas  Every  of  Hatch 
Beauchamp,  £20;  to  his  sister,  Katharine  Standerwick,  £50;  to 
sister  Elizabeth  Bowdige,  £30;  to  children  and  grandchildren  of 
brother-in-law,  John  Bowdige,  various  sums;  to  William,  son  of 
John  Every  of  Broadway,  £10;  to  Katharine,  dau.  of  Thomas 
Everie  of  Hatch  Beauchamp,  £50;  and  to  each  of  his  other 
children,  £10. 

Alexander  Every,  London,  Broadway,  Axminster,  St.  Michael, 
Cornwall,  cloth  maker;  will  made  Dec.  25,  1588;  proved  March  27, 
1589,  by  William  Every,  son  of  his  brother;  left  money  for  the 
erection  of  almshouses  in  Broadway;  mentioned  brothers  John 
Every  and  Thomas  Every;  John  Every,  son  of  Sergeant  Every 
and  "my  aunt  Everie,  the  Sergeant's  wife;"  children  of  "my 
brother,  Thomas  Every." 

John  Every,  Wootens  Abbott,  Dorset,  gent. ;  will  dated  Dec. 
16,  1616;  proved  April  25,  1617,  by  William  Every;  to  "my  wife 
Fridsinde,  £40  per  annum  out  of  my  annuity  going  out  of  Kings- 
ton Hall,  Dorset; "  to  "John  Every,  my  son,"  £50  per  annum  out 
of  the  same;  to  "Alexander  Every,  my  son,"  £50  per  annum  out 
of  the  same  when  21;  to  "my  son  John,"  my  lease  of  Staymore  in 
Axminster,  he  paying  to  son,  Alexander,  £20  per  annum;  to  son 
Alexander,  household  stuff  in  Wootens  Abbott,  with  exceptions; 
mentioned  daughter-in-law,  Barbara  Every;  to  daughter,  Sarah, 


In    France    and    England  13 

wife  of  Henry  Skibbow,  £100;  to  their  son,  William  Skibbow,  a 
house  in  Calliforcl;  to  their  daughter,  Joan  Skibbow,  £10;  to  chil- 
dren of  son,  William  Everie,  £100;  to  second  son,  John,  £100;  to 
his  son,  John,  a  colt;  to  daughter,  Johane,  wife  of  Worthington 
Brice,  £100;  mentioned  also  beloved  sister,  Elizabeth  Bowdige; 
brother-in-law,  John  Fowler;  brother-in-law,  Mark  Cross;  residue 
to  William  Every,  my  son. 

Thomas  Evrie,  Hatch  Beauchamp,  will  dated  Aug.  31,  1592; 
proved  Oct.  27,  1592;  manor  of  Storwell;  mentioned  wife,  Joane; 
Richard  Evrie,  eldest  son;  Thomas  Evrie,  son;  daughter  Edith, 
wife  of  Rowens  Kewer;  daus.,  Katharine,  Joane,  Alice,  Freeseed, 
Elizabeth,  Mary;  to  each  daughter,  £80. 

There  are  wills  of  this  family  of  Somerset  Averys  of  later 
generations  not  here  given.  In  the  will  of  John  Barnarde  above 
mentioned,  we  find  a  suggestion  that,  through  Jacob  Avery,  the 
Averys  of  Dedham  (Massachusetts)  were  related  to  this  Somerset 
family. 

From  the  Visitation  of  Dorset,  1623,  we  learn  that  a  family 
under  the  name  of  Every  was  seated  at  Wycroft  Castle.  They 
bore  arms— Or,  four  chevronels  gules.  John  Every,  Esq.,  married 
Fredeswith,  dau.  of  William  Jervice  of  Hemioke.     They  had— 

1.  Joan,  m.  Worthington  Brice  of  Somerset  County. 

2.  Sara,  m.  Henry  Skibbow  [Skilbrowe],  Silverton,  Devon. 

3.  William  of  Cothay,  Somerset;  m.  Margaret,  dau.  of  Robert  Haydon, 
Devon,  and  had 

(a)  John,  aged  17,  in  1623. 

(b)  Margaret,  aged  15,  in  1623. 

(c)  William,  aged  12,  in  1623. 

(d)  Joan,  aged  11,  in  1623. 

(e)  Ann,  aged  9,  in  1623. 

(f)  Frideswid,  aged  3,  in  1623. 

Also  an  older  daughter,  Sara,  who  married   John  Gould  of   Dor- 
chester. 

4.  John  of    Hemiok;   m.    Barbara,   dau.   of   John    Bennet   of   Dorset, 

and  had 

(a)  Barbara,  aged  7,  in  1623. 

(b)  Ann,  aged  6,  in  1623. 

(c)  John,  aged  3,  in  1623. 

5.  Alexander  of  Whitchurch,  Dorset. 

John  Every,  sergeant-at-arms  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
bore  the  same  arms  as  the  Everys  of  Wycroft  Castle.  Of  his 
sons, 


14  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

1.  Thomas  left  two  daughters. 

2.  John  left  sons,  John  and  George. 

i.  John,  the  first  son,  married  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  William  Lambert,  of 
Oxford.  He  died  in  1618  and  left  his  estate,  Chardstock,  to  his 
only  son— 

(a)     Sir  Simon  Every,  created  baronet  of  Chardstock,  May  26, 
1641;  suffered  for  loyalty  to  Charles  I. 

Branches  of  this  stock  settled  in  Derbyshire. 

In  the  registry  of  wills  at  Bristol,  Gloucestershire,  are  pre- 
served the  wills  of  Edward  Avery,  1601 ;  John  Avery,  1603. 

Alice  Avery's  will,  Aveling,  was  proved,  1574;  William  Avery's, 
same  place,  1625;  Ann  Avery  of  Sisten,  1615. 

Richard  Avery  m.  Ann  Alleredge  Jan.  28,  1590,  at  Betton. 
Ann  Avery  was  buried  Nov.  15,  1614,  at  same  place. 

From  the  Visitation  of  Dorset,  1623,  we  learn  that  Jacob,  third 
son  of  Robert  Ryeres,  married  Frances,  dau.  of  Thomas  Auerie  of 
County  Wilts. 

The  Somerset  Averys  sent  branches  into  Berkshire,  Middle- 
sex, and  up  to  London,  but  there  were  Averys  in  Berkshire, 
apparently  of  other  origin.  Amos  Avery  was  commissioner  for 
Berkshire  in  1656.  Arnold  Avery  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  in 
1650.  Henry  Avery  was  a  soldier  serving  in  Ireland  in  1654. 
Joseph  Avery  was  deputy-governor  of  the  Merchant  Adventurers' 
Company  in  Holland,  in  1660.  Robert  Avery  was  a  royalist  officer 
in  the  civil  war.  Benjamin,  Richard  and  Timothy  Avery  were 
Presbyterians  in  Berkshire,  in  1697.  The  Averys  were  in  the 
clothing  trade  in  Newbury;  a  branch  of  this  family  settled  in 
Marlboro,  Wiltshire;  and  Dr.  Avery,  the  second  treasurer  of  Guy's 
Hospital,  also  belonged  to  the  Newbury  Averys.  They  used  the 
same  coat  of  arms  as  the  Filongley  Averys.  It  is  possible  that  a 
branch  of  this  family  came  to  America. 

The  following  contains  all  that  I  have  been  able  to  learn  con- 
cerning the  Filongley  Averys,  in  the  county  of  Warwick.  A  family 
of  Averys  now  living  in  Virginia  are  descended  from  an  ancestor 
who  had  this  coat  of  arms  on  his  silver  plate.  In  the  late  civil 
war,  it  disappeared. 

GRANT    OF    ARMS    TO    WILLIAM    AVERY,     OF    FILONGLEY,     IN    THE 

COUNTY    OF    WARWICK,     BY    ROBERT    COOKE, 

CLARENCIEULX,    1579. 

A  Grant  of  these  Armes  and  Crest  by  Rob.  Cook,  Esq.,  Clar- 
enc'x,  to  Will.  Averey,  of  Felongley  in  y'^  County  of  Warwick, 


In    France    and    England 


15 


Gent. ,  viz. :  On  a  Palle  Engrayled  azure  three  Lyons  heads  coupey 
gold,  And  to  his  Crest  on  a  Wreath  gold  and  azure,  an  Ownce 
Couchant  Silver  besantyd,  mantelled  Gules  doubled  sylver. 
Habend:  to  him  and  his  posterity,  dated  25  Junii,  1579:  21  Eliz. 
Produced  at  Coleshill  30  Mar..  1682. 

Mem'^""\— The  Ownce  is  gorged  with  a  Coronet  in  the  Paint- 
ing but  not  mentioned  in  the  blazon. 


Willimus  Auerey= 


=Katherina       fi  1  i  a 

Williams 

de  Com.  Somerset. 


Elizabeth  filia=Willimus  Auerey=Amphili  filia 
Thomae  Harby  de  Filongley  in  Nicholai  Fox- 
de  Adston  in  Com  War.  obiit  ley  de  Blake- 
Com.  Northton  7  May  Ac  1618  sley  in  Com. 
vxor  prima.  Northt.    obiit 

Febr.Aol616. 


1 
Elizabetha  vxor 

Heringe 

renupta 

Langhorn 

postea 

Yonge. 


et 


Willimus  Auerey=Mabilia  filia  2 
de  Filongly  in  Willimi  B  e  1- 
Com.  Warr.  fil  et  cherdeGuilles- 
haeres  superstes  burgh  in  Com. 
Ao.  1619,  Northt.  Armi- 

geri. 


Thomas  filius2 
cselebs  Ao. 
1619. 


Richardus  obiit 
in  puerili  aetate, 


Katherina 
vxor  Hen- 
rici  Agard 
d e  Dun- 
stall 
Com. 
Stafford. 


m 


I  I 

Willimus  Auerey    Johannes  fil.  2. 
filius  primogeni- 
tus  ataetis  7  ann. 
Ao.  1619. 


Knightleyus  fil. 
3  obiit  infans. 
1617. 

(Signed) 


Elizabetha 
SP. 


Willia.  Avery 


Among  the  Berkshire  wills  as  given  by  the  British  Record 
Society  are  found: — Richard  Avery,  Rememham,  1559;  Richard 
Avery,  Rememham,  1620;  John  Avery,  Wargrove,  1605, 

There  was  a  Sir  John  Avery,  vicar  of  the  church  of  Hag- 
bourne,  Berkshire,  as  is  shown  by  deeds  in  the  Record  Office, 
Chancery  Lane,  London,  The  name  of  his  clerk  was  Robert 
Avery, 

The  Litchfield  wills  given  are:— John  Avery,  1541;  John  Avery, 
Filongley,  1544;  Henry  Avery,  1610, 

Parochial  endowments  by  the  Avery  family  are  found  in  Fil- 
ongley. Robert  Bucke,  draper  of  London,  in  his  will  made  Nov, 
17,  1620,  mentions  "  Newe  Marsh  als  Greene  Marsh,"  in  Barking, 
Essex,  which  he  bought  of  William  Avery,  son  of  William  Avery, 


16  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

late  of  Filongley,  Warwick,  Dec.  30,  1618.  He  also  mentions 
Mary  and  Clare  Avery,  daughters  of  John  Avery,  of  Walden, 
Essex. 

As  we  get  further  away  from  Cornwall  and  Devon,  the  name 
of  Avery  grows  less  and  less  frequent. 

John  Day,  of  Chiddinglighe,  Essex,  in  a  will  dated  July  20, 
1620,  speaks  of  his  daughter  Anna,  wife  of  Lawrence  Avery  of 
Lewes,  and  their  daughters,  Thomasine  and  Elizabeth.  William 
Avery  had  land  in  this  shire  in  1565. 

Thomas  Avery  was  witness  to  a  deed  in  Southwick,  Surrey, 
in  1466.     Alice  Avery  married  John  Beard  in  Cowfield,  in  1485. 

The  parish  church,  St.  Mary's,  Cray,  Kent  contains  tombs  of 
the  Avery  family. 

Mr.  H.  Hatcher,  the  antiquarian,  in  1842,  copied  the  follow- 
ing from  the  church  records  at  Salisbury,  Wiltshire: 

1591.     Buriel,  Mary,  wife  to  Christopher  Avery. 

and  adds:  "there  were  Averys  in  the  town  within  my  recollec- 
tion."    (See  Mass.  Hist  Col,  3d  series,  vol.  10,  p.  139.) 

Mr.  W.  L  Brigham  Tyler,  of  Chicago,  a  genealogist  of  repute 
who  was  in  England,  was  employed  to  make  a  careful  study  of 
the  various  parishes  of  Salisbury,  notably.  The  Close,  St.  Ed- 
munds, St.  Martins  and  Fisherton,  the  four  oldest.  Nothing  was 
found.  Mr.  Tyler  also  examined  the  records  of  the  exchequer 
and  prerogative  court  of  York,  which  has  a  general  jurisdiction 
over  the  north  of  England  as  Canterbury  has  over  the  south. 
Avery  does  not  seem  to  have  been  a  common  north-country  name, 
though  a  few  records  were  found  in  Nottinghamshire. 

The  Worcester  wills  and  administrations  as  shown  by  the 
British  Record  Society  have  the  following: 

Thomas  Avery,  Ffylleme,  1539. 

John  Avery,  Amesbury,  1539. 

The  marriage  bond  of  George  Avery  and  Anne  Rowley,  1572. 

The  marriage  bond  of  William  Avery,  Warwick,  and  Dorothy  Childermes, 

1584. 
John  Avery,  taylor,  Bodey,  inventory,  1592. 
Richard  Avery,  will,  inventory,  1597. 

The  following  baptismal  records  were  taken  from  the  parish 
register  of  Broadway,  Worcester: 


In    France    and    England  17 

William,  son  of  John  Averie,  Aug.  16,  1603. 

Anne,  daughter  of  John  Averell,  October,  1605. 

Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Averyes,  Feb.,  1609. 

Richard,  son  of  John  Avery,  1611. 

Thomas,  son  of  John  Averell,  1618. 

John,  son  of  William  Averell,  1631. 

Jane,  dau.  of  William  and  Joyce  Averell,  1637. 

Thomas,  son  of  William  Averell,  1644. 

Isaac,  son  of  William  Averell,  1646. 

There  were  Averys  there  at  a  later  date,  evidently  of  the 
same  family. 

Agnes  Arden,  grandmother  of  William  Shakespeare,  in  a  will 
dated  1584,  gives  two  sheep  to  Avery  Fulwood. 

In  the  registry  of  Lewis,  Sussex  County,  are  to  be  found  pro- 
bate records  relating  to  Adam  Avery,  Portslade,  May  7,  1546; 
Robert  Avery,  Hastings,  All  Saints,  husbandman,  Aug.  11,  1547; 
John  Avery,  Hastings,  Dec.  17,  1560;  John  Avery,  Crowhurst, 
Dec.  30,  1552;  John  Avery,  Guesttin,  Dec.  30,  1552;  John  Avery, 
Guesttin,  yeoman,  Feb.  8,  1554;  Alice  Averye,  Sedlescombe,  April 

28,  1557;  Martin  Avery,  Boxhill,  Jan.  4,  1557;  Thomas  Avery, 
Boxhill,  June  2,  1575;  Nicholas  Avery,  Brighton,  Feb.  3,  1560; 
Nicholas  Avery,  Southwick,  yeoman.  May  18,  1560;  John  Avery, 
South  wick,  March  28,  1582;  William  Avery,  Trant,  March,  1571; 
Alexander  Avery,  Salehurst,  Nov.  9,  1576;  Abraham  Avery,  Sale- 
hurst,  April  15,  1618;  James  Avery,  cordwainer,  Salehurst,  Jan. 

29,  1629;  Robert  Avery,  Ashburnham,  yeoman,  July  11,  1598;  John 
Avery,  Westfield,  Dec.  20,  1599;  Thomas  Avery,  Westfield,  yeo- 
man, Sept.  4,  1623;  William  Avery,  Wabbleton,  yeoman,  Jan.  14, 
1607;  Richard  Avery,  Hailsham,  March  31,  1609;  John  Avery, 
Winchelsea,  May  3,  1609;  Henry  Avery,  Hove,  yeoman,  Jan.  9, 
1609;  Barbara  Avery,  Hove,  widow,  March  2,  1629;  John  Avery, 
Dallington,  yeoman,  April  1,  1626;  Sarah  Avery,  Rotherfeed, 
spinster,  Sept.  15,  1629;  and  Henry  Avery,  Tilscombe,  March 
13,  1629.  Thomas  Avery  was  there  in  1466,  and  William  Avery 
in  1565.  Richard  Avery,  Chichester,  Sussex,  had  his  will  proved 
in  the  prerogative  court  of  Canterbury,  1593. 

Among  the  Canterbury  wills  we  find  that  of  Thomas  Avery, 
Berden,  Essex,  1576,  and  of  Richard  Avery,  gent.,  town  of  New 
Haven,  France,  1563. 

Among  the  graduates  of  Oxford  University  (Alumni  Ox- 
onienses)  we  find : 


18  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

John  Avery,  D.D.,  Vice  Chancellor,  1507. 

William  Avery,  Chaplain,  B.A.,  1541;  M.A.,  June  14,  1544. 

Thomas  Avery,  B.A.,  March  31,  1452. 

Thomas  Avery,  Co.  Leicester,  matriculated  1589,  aged  20. 

Joseph  Avery,  Berks,  Queens  College,   matriculated  1615,  aet.   15.     Vicar 

of  Romsey,  Hants,  1626. 
William  Avery,  son  of  Edward  Avery,  Kingston,  Surrey,  matriculated  1638, 

aet.  16. 

The  name  is  also  found  in  Oxford  records  of  a  later  period. 

May  6,  1646,  William  Avery,  son  of  Samuel  Avery,  citizen  and 
alderman  of  London,  was  admitted  to  Gray's  Inn,  and  about  the 
same  time,  William  Avery,  son  of  Mr.  Avery,  late  of  Itchington 
Bishops,  Warwick,  gent,  was  admitted. 

In  the  chancery  rolls  for  the  reign  of  James  I.,  we  read: 

"Avery  contra  Woodford  " ;  "Avery  conti'a  Lashmere";  "Avery  contra 
Dummal  ";  "Avery  contra  Reinal  ";  "Avery  contra  Harrys  ". 

The  index  to  the  chancery  proceedings  for  the  reign  of 
Charles  I.  shows: 

"Averie  vs.  Oriel  Col.,  Oxford;  Averys  vs.  Knight;  Avery  vs.  Tolson; 
Averys  vs.  Wheatlee;  Avery  vs.  Pellett;  Avery  vs.  Tighe;  Avery  vs. 
Winter;  Avery  vs.  Morley;  Avery  vs.  Dyer;  Averie  vs.  Gratwink; 
Avery  vs.  Hunsdon;  Avery  vs.  Atkin;  Avery  vs.  Forward. 

To-day  there  is  an  Avery  lane  in  London  and  an  Avery  street 
in  Birmingham. 

London,  the  great  metropolis,  draws  tribute  from  all  England, 
and  thither  went  many  Averys  to  better  their  fortunes.  The 
early  records  only  are  given  here,  but  the  name  appears  all  down 
the  years  and  is  not  uncommon  even  to-day. 

London  Marriage  Licenses : 

William  Avery  and  Elizabeth  Harbye,  Dec.  13,  1573,  St.  Michael,  Cornhill. 

William  Avery,  silk  weaver,  and  Christian  Slater,  widow,  of  city  of  Lon- 
don, Jan.  18,  1580,  at  St.  Alphage,  London. 

Thomas  Averye,  St.  OUives,  in  Silver  Street,  and  Anne  Goodriche,  St. 
Peters,  in  Cheape,  June  18,  1583,  St.  Dionis,  Backchurch  Parish, 
London. 

Christopher  Everye  (or  Averye),  St.  James  Garlike  Hittie,  London, 
and  Mary  Harryson,  spinster,  St.  Mary,  Woolnoth,  dau.  of  William 
Harryson,  late  of  St.  Magnus,  London,  merchant  taylor,  deceased,  at 
St.  Marys,  Woolnoth,  June  24,  1584. 

Richard  Avery  and  Katharine  Harmon,  July  3,  1603,  St.  James,  Clerken- 
well. 


In    France    and    England  19 

William  Smith,  Westminster,  joiner,   and  Joyce  Avery,    spinster,   July  3, 

1620. 
John  Berley,  St  Catherine,  and  Mary  Averye,   St.  Andrews,   Undershaft, 

London,  dau.  of  John  Averye,  Ipswich,  Suffolk,  gent.,  Sept.  11,  1621. 
Edward  Avery,  St.  Peters,  Paul's  Wharf,  London,  dyer,  and  Mary  Edgley, 

widow  of  John  Edgley,    St.   Bartholomew-the-less,   West    Smithfield, 

London,  at  Horsney,  Middlesex,  Sept.  9,  1626. 
Richard  Avery  and  Ann  Bai'ber,  by  bans.  Oct.  22,  1626. 
William  Avery  and  Joane  Cooper,  St.  James,  Clerkenwell,  Nov.  1,  1635. 

Parish  Register,  St.  Thomas,  the  Apostle  : 
Jane,  dau.  of  Edward  Avery,  christened  Jan  6,  1560. 
Margaret,  dau.  of  Edward  Avery,  died  Jan.  16,  1561. 
Jane,  dau.  of  Edward  Avery,  buried  Sept.  6,  1561. 
Maxy,  dau.  of  Edward  Avery,  buried  Sept.  14,  1561. 
Garret,  dau.  of  Edward  Avery,  buried  Sept.  29,  1562, 
John,  son  of  Edward  Avery,  buried  Oct.  1,  1561. 
Edward  Avery,  clothmaker,  buried  March  30,  1580. 
Thomas  Fletcher  and  Luce  Avery,  married  Dec.  8,  1567. 
Robert  Brinklow  and  Elizabeth  Avery,  married  Nov.  17,  1588. 

Register  of  St.  Peters,  Cornhill,  London  : 

Richard  Avery,  buried  August  20,  1554. 
Roger  Avery,  buried  Feb.  18,  1556. 
Edward  Avery,  buried  July  12,  1557. 
Alice  Avery,  buried  July  16,  1557. 

Register  of  St.  James,  Clerkenwell,  London  : 
Thomas,  son  of  John  and  Alice  Avery,  christened  Nov.  30,  1642. 
Elizabeth,  dau.  of  Arthur  and  Alice  Avery,  christened  May  11,  1642. 
Mary,  dau.  of  Arthur  and  Alice  Avery,  christened  Oct.  24,  1630. 
Arthur,  son  of  Arthur  and  Alice  Avery,  christened  Nov.  10,  1639. 
Ehzabeth,  dau.  of  Arthur  and  Alice  Avery,  christened  March  15,  1643. 
Katherine,  wife  of  Richard  Avery,  buried  Dec.  8,  1615. 

Register  of  Kensington  Parish: 
Margaret  Avery  of  Hillindon  and  John  Gobone,  married  May  6,  1560. 
Thomas  Avery  buried  January  18,  1573. 

In  1546,  Thomas  Avery,  gent. ,  held  a  messuage,  shop,  cellars, 
etc.,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Peter's  le  Poore,  London. 

Matthew  Avery  of  Wapping,  Parish  of  St.  Mary,  at  White- 
chapel,  Middlesex,  England,  in  will  made  April  22, 1642,  left  land  in 
Charlestown,  N.  E. ,  to  wife  Anna  and  son  John.  Oct.  2, 1656,  Anna 
Roberts,  (widow  of  William  Roberts,  and  before  that  of  Matthew 
Avery  of  Wapping)  and  John  Avery,  citizen,  barber,  chirurgion, 


20  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

of  London,  son  and  heir  of  Matthew  Avery,  sold  to  Jonathan 
Wade,  of  Ipswich,  N.  E.,  in  parts  beyond  the  sea,  messuage  and 
house  in  Charlestown,  N.  E.,  for  one  hundred  pounds.  See 
Middlesex  Deeds,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  vol.  2,  pages  70,  92. 

Mr.  Benjamin  Avery  was  the  English  resident  in  Hamburg  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  I.  His  official  correspondence  is  in  the  Public 
Record  Office  at  London.    See  Hamburg  Correspondence,  16Ji.5-16J^8. 

In  the  valuation  of  the  estates  of  the  Bishopricks  of  England 
and  Wales,  1647,  Bath  and  Wells,  Ben  Avery  is  mentioned  as 
surveyor. 

North  of  London,  in  Leicestershire  and  Lincolnshire,  are 
found  a  few  items  relating  to  the  family: 

In  Leicestershire,  the  will  of  Richard  Avery,  Enderby,  was 
proved  in  1537;  Peter  Avery's  of  the  same  place,  1614;  William 
Avery  of  Easton,  1583;  Francis  Avery  of  Wicherley,  1587. 

In  Lincolnshire,  the  will  of  Margery  Avery,  of  Beckingham, 
was  proved,  1532;  John,  Richard,  and  Robert  Avery  had  wills 
proved,  1600,  1541,  and  1520,  respectively.  The  name  Robert 
Avery  seems  to  have  persisted  in  that  county,  for  Robert  Avery, 
Stubton,  had  will  proved,  1557;  Robert  Avery,  Gosburton,  1594; 
and  Robert  Avery,  Normanton,  1597. 

Turn  now  to  a  good  map  of  France  and  England  (e.g..  Maps 
74,  75,  and  80  of  the  Century  Atlas) .  Remember  that  most  of  the 
early  English  members  of  the  Avery  family  lived  in  the  extreme 
southwest  of  the  "tight  little  isle,"  and  that  there  they  were  very 
numerous.  In  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries,  all  of 
whom  we  now  have  any  trace,  lived  in  Cornwall  and  Devon. 
Notice  that  these  counties  are  directly  north  of  that  part  of 
Brittany  in  which  is  the  ancestral  town  of  Auray  and  that  the  dis- 
tance between  them  is  not  great.  Geography,  heraldry,  etymology, 
and  history  join  hands  and  suggest,  with  common  voice,  that  all 
the  Averys  of  England  and  France  were  of  the  same  stock. 


CHAPTER  11. 

AVERY  COATS  OF  ARMS. 

Glossary  of  Heraldic  Terms. — Ajf routes,  face  to  face;  argent, 
silver  (represented  by  white) ;  azure,  blue  (represented  by  hori- 
zontal lines);  besant,  a  gold  coin;  besantee,  sprinkled  with  small 
besants;  chevron,  bands  meeting  like  the  rafters  of  a  house;  chief, 
the  upper  third  of  the  shield;  couchant,  crouching;  croisette,  a  little 
cross;  fesse,  a  horizontal  band;  ganibs,  paws;  gorged,  bearing  a 
crown  about  the  neck;  gules,  red  (represented  by  vertical  lines); 
lozenge,  rhomb  shaped;  or,  gold  (represented  by  dots);  jmle,  a 
vertical  band;  paly,  divided  into  four  or  more  pales  of  alternating 
colors;  sable,  black;  water-bouget,  figure  of  a  vessel  for  carrying 
water. 

English. 

Avery  of  Haddon,  County  Warwick,  England:— (See  Figure 
1. )     Argent,  six  annulets  gides,  three,  tivo  and  one. 

Avery  of  Huish,  County  Somerset;  and  Enfield,  County  Mid- 
dlesex:—(See  Figure  2.)  Gules,  a  fesse  or  between  three  besants. 
Crest—  Two  lion  gamhs  or,  siipjDorting  a  besant. 

Avery  of  Filongley,  County  Warwick:— (See  Figure  3.)  Er- 
mine, on  a  pale  engrailed  azure  three  lion  heads  couped  or. 
Crest— A  leopard  conchant  argent  besantee,  ducally  gorged  or. 

Avery,  coat  of  arms  brought  over  by  Dr.  William  Avery 
about  1650,  to  Dedham,  Mass. :—( See  Figure  4).  Gvles,  a  chev- 
ron or  between  three  besants.  Crest — Two  lion  gambs  or  sup- 
porting a  besant. 

Avery  of  Enfield,  County  Middlesex:  — Gz^^es,  a  chevron  or 
between  three  besants,  a  crescent  for  difference.  Crest—  Ttuo  lion 
gambs  issuant  and  emboived  supp)orting  a  besant. 

Kyqyy  of  South  Devon:— Three  ivater-bougets. 

Every  of  Wycroft  Castle,  Axminster,  Devon:  — 0?^,  four  chev- 
ronels,  gules.  Crest— A  demi-unicorn  couped,  gules  unguled,  and 
maned  or. 


AVERY- 


G-.T.HQ.Y\ckett,   iol. 


4. 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan  23 

Colored  copies  of  the  first  three,  with  full  descriptions,  were 
obtained  from  Henry  Gray  of  London,  England;  the  fourth  was 
copied  from  the  original  coat  of  arms  in  the  possession  of  Mrs. 
Grace  Avery  Steele,  a  descendant  of  William  Avery  of  Dedham; 
the  fifth  was  taken  from  the  ' '  Visitation  of  Middlesex. "  The  last 
is  found  on  a  mural  tablet  in  St.  Stephen's  church  at  Saltash, 
Cornwall,  and  on  another  in  St.  Mary's  church  at  Plymouth,  Devon. 
This  coat  of  arms  is  recorded  as  belonging  to  the  Avery  family 
"long  seated  and  widely  spread  in  the  South  of  Devon."  No 
further  description  of  it  has  been  found;  it  is  not  included  in  any 
known  list  of  coats  of  arms,  nor  is  it  known  to  what  Avery  family 
it  was  granted. 

Norman. 

Auvray  of  Car entan:— Azure,  three  escallops  argent. 

Auvray,  lord  of  Monts,  of  Mainteville; — Argent,  three  fleur- 
de-lis  or  on  a  chevron  azure,  betiveen  three  fir  cones  sable. 

Auvray,  lord  of  Roque:— Paly  of  six  azure  and  or,  on  a  chief 
gules  a  leopard  or. 

Auvray,  lord  of  Gondoniere:— Gz^^es,  fesse  or,  in  chief  two 
roses,  in  base  tivo  lions  affrontes  or. 

Auvray,  lord  of  Dymanville:— Git^es,  chevron  or  betiveen  three 
croisettes  or. 

Auvray  of  Bayeaux: — Gules,  three  escallops  argent  border  of 
sable. 

Auvray  of  Avranches: — Lozenge  or  and  azure. 

Auray  of  Avranches:— Lo2:e?igfe  or  and  azure.  (Originated  in 
the  town  of  Auray,  in  Brittany. ) 

(See  "Nobiliare  de  Normandie"  by  R.  De  Magny,  and  a  book 
of  the  same  name  by  G.  Ogilvy. ) 

The  Groton  Averys  have  no  established  claim  to  any  coat 
of  arms. 


CHAPTER  III. 

AMERICAN  AVERY  CLANS. 

In  the  seventeenth  century,  many  Averys  sought  the  shores 
of  the  New  World.  These  may  be  roughly  divided  into  the  fol- 
lowing clans: 

The  Groton  Branch  (descendants  of  Christopher  and  James 
Avery,  Groton,  Conn.)  This  book  contains  the  history  of  this 
clan. 

The  Dedham  Branch  (descendants  of  Dr.  William  Avery) .  Dr. 
William  Avery  of  Barkham,  Berkshire,  England,  came  to  New 
England  about  1650.  He  brought  with  him  his  wife  and  three 
children;  they  had  four  more  born  at  Dedham,  Mass.  His  de- 
scendants are  to  be  found  especially  in  Massachusetts  and  Maine. 
His  record  has  been  traced  back  for  four  generations  into  Eng- 
land. The  history  of  this  family  was  published  by  Winslow  W. 
Avery  of  Plymouth,  Mass. ,  in  1893. 

The  Portsmouth  Branch  (descendants  of  Thomas  Avery). 
Thomas  Avery,  blacksmith,  came  to  America  in  the  "John  and 
Mary"  in  1633.  He  was  first  at  Salem,  Mass.,  and  afterwards  at 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.  His  descendants  are  numerous  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. Some  of  his  descendants  are  supposed  to  have  been  at 
Townsend,  Mass.  One  of  these,  Robert,  left  a  large  family.  No 
history  of  this  family  has  been  written,  though  much  material  has 
been  collected  in  searching  for  records  of  other  Averys. 

The  Ipswich  Branch  (descendants  of  William  Averell  or  Aver- 
ill,  called  Avery).  This  William  Avery  first  appears  in  Ipswich, 
Mass.,  in  1637.  His  will,  signed  Will  Averell,  is  dated  1653.  His 
wife's  name  was  Abigail;  they  had  seven  children.  His  son  Wil- 
liam had  ten  sons.  Much  diflficulty  has  been  experienced  in  tracing 
this  family  owing  to  the  various  spellings  of  the  name  by  descend- 
ants. Many  Averys  of  Maine  and  New  York  and  nearly  all  the 
Averells  and  Averills  of  the  United  States  are  descendants  of  this 
William.  There  has  been  a  tradition  among  the  Groton  Averys 
that  their  Christopher  Avery  had  a  brother  William  in  Massachu- 


American    Avery    Clans  25 

setts.  It  was  easily  proved  that  William  Avery  of  Dedhani  could 
not  have  been  a  brother,  but  it  is  possible  that  Christopher  of 
Groton  and  William  of  Ipswich  were  akin.  Miss  Clara  A.  Avery, 
47  Eliot  street,  Detroit,  Mich.,  has  a  history  of  this  clan  nearly 
ready  for  publication.  She  would  like  to  hear  from  Averills,  Aver- 
ells,  Everells,  and  Averitts. 

The  Edward  Avery  Branch.— The  Rev.  David  Avery,  in  his 
diary,  mentions  an  Edward  Avery,  brother  of  Christopher,  who 
settled  near  Boston  and  was  "the  progenitor  of  a  large  and  re- 
spectable progeny."  In  the  list  of  original  proprietors  of  Brook- 
haven,  Long  Island,  begun  in  1655  by  "a  good  number  of  emi- 
grants mostly  from  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,"  we  find  the 
name  of  Edward  Avery.  He  left  descendants  in  western  Connec- 
ticut and  along  the  Hudson  River;  they  have  gradually  extended  to 
every  state  in  the  Union.  Great  difficulty  has  been  experienced 
in  separating  this  clan  from  the  Groton  clan,  owing  partly  to  the 
great  similarity  of  names.  Mr.  Morris  H.  Avery,  Woonsocket, 
R.  I.,  is  collecting  all  possible  data  relating  to  the  descendants  of 
this  Edward  Avery. 

Myer  Avery  Branch.— Myer  and  Dorcas  (Frederick)  Avery 
had  a  son  Peter  baptized  at  Poughkeepsie,  May  26,  1739,  and  a 
daughter  two  years  later.  The  descendants  of  this  Peter  Avery 
are  scattered  through  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  Missouri.  Myer 
Avery  may  belong  to  the  Edward  Avery  clan. 

Enoch  Avery  Branch.— Another  line  (called  the  Cross  River 
line)  claims  descent  from  Enoch  Avery,  whose  son  Enoch  married 
Dorcas  Woolsey  in  1765.  No  connection  has  been  established  be- 
tween this  branch  and  the  Groton  clan.  The  descendants  of  the 
three  clans  last  mentioned  are  very  numerous  and  elusive. 

The  Delaware  Averys  (descendants  of  Captain  John  Avery). 
Captain  John  Avery  was  in  Maryland  in  1665.  Later  he  was  at 
the  Whorekill,  Delaware  Bay,  where  he  was  president-judge.  His 
wife's  name  was  Sarah.  His  only  son  died  without  issue.  The 
record  of  the  descendants  in  the  female  line  may  be  found  in  the 
genealogy  of  the  Kollock  family  prepared  by  Edwin  Jacquett 
Sellers  of  Philadelphia.  The  history  of  Captain  John  Avery, 
president- judge  of  the  Whorekill,  has  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Sel- 
lers for  private  circulation. 

The  Virginia  Averys,  Averetts,  Aviretts,  Averitts,  Avritts.  — 
It  is  believed  that  many  of  the  Virginia  families  under  the  above 


26  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

names  had  a  common  origin.  The  Maryland  and  Virginia  records 
show  that  the  following  Averys  were  in  that  region  before  1700; 
Jacob,  George,  John,  Edward,  Henry,  William,  Arthur,  Robert 
and  Joseph.  E.  C.  Averett,  Danville,  Virginia,  is  investigating 
the  genealogy  and  history  of  these  families. 

Dorchester,  Maryland,  John  Avery :  One  John  Avery  was  at 
Dorchester,  Maryland,  as  early  as  1658.  From  his  will  and  other 
sources,  it  would  appear  that  he  had  a  wife  Anne  and  a  daughter 
of  the  same  name;  also  a  grandchild,  John  Granger.  He  seems 
not  to  have  left  any  descendants  of  his  name. 

Dorchester,  Mass.,  John  Avery :  Another  John  Avery  ap- 
peared at  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  as  early  as  1642,  and  his  will 
was  proved  in  1654.  He  seems  to  have  had  a  brother  Lawrence 
and  a  wife  Anne  in  England.  There  is  no  record  of  any  descend- 
■•  ants  in  this  country. 

Avery-Everett :  The  descendants  of  Josiah  Avered,  who  was 
the  son  of  Israel  and  Abigail  (Morse)  Everett,  spell  their  names 
in  various  ways.  One  branch,  the  descendants  of  Abner  Avered, 
now  spell  the  name  Avery.  This  spelling  has  been  followed  for 
more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years.  Much  diflficulty  has  been 
experienced  in  separating  these  twigs  from  the  Groton  branch. 
The  late  Edward  F.  Everett,  Boston,  Mass. ,  prepared  a  history  of 
the  Everett  family  which  includes  this  Avery  branch. 

We  have  collected  much  material  relating  to  these  Avery  clans. 
Any  competent  person  who  will  undertake  the  preparation  and 
publication  of  a  history  of  any  of  these  branches  will  be  welcome 
to  all  the  information  that  we  have  relating  thereto. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FIRST  GENERATION— CHRISTOPHER  AVERY. 

1.  Christopher  Avery  was  born  in  England;  m.  about  August 
26,  1616,  at  Ipplepen,  Devonshire,  Margery  Stephens. 

In  the  opening  chapter  of  Homer  D.  L.  Sweet's  history  of 
The  Averys  of  Ch'oton  (Syracuse,  1894) ,  it  is  stated  that  ' '  Chris- 
topher Avery,  a  weaver,  was  born  in  England  about  1590, ' '  that 
he  came  to  New  England  bringing  with  him  his  only  son,  James, 
and  leaving  his  wife  in  the  mother  country.  Further  than  this, 
nothing  certain  was  known  concerning  him  prior  to  his  migra- 
tion. For  ten  years  after  the  publication  of  Mr.  Sweet's  book, 
w^e  spent  much  time  and  money  in  a  search  for  some  trace  of  the 
founder  of  our  family.  Of  the  money  thus  spent,  one  hundred 
dollars  was  given  for  the  purpose  by  Miss  Carrie  M.  Powers  of 
Decatur,  Illinois.  The  chief  result  of  these  investigations,  made 
by  expert  genealogists  in  England,  was  to  disprove  certain  tradi- 
tions as  to  the  locality  of  Christopher  Avery's  English  home  (as  at 
Salisbury,  etc.),  and  thus  to  narrow  the  field  of  search  and  to 
increase  the  probability  of  the  success  of  some  later  effort. 

Some  time  after  the  publication  of  Mr.  Sw^eet's  book,  we  re- 
ceived the  manuscript  of  an  Avery  genealogy,  written  in  1800  by 
the  Rev.  David  Avery  (No.  511),  our  first  family  historian.  This 
document  said  that  Christopher  Avery,  a  kersey  weaver,  came 
from  Devon.  Our  attention  was  thus  turned  toward  Devon,  w^hich, 
in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  was  the  center  of 
the  kersey  industry  in  England.  In  1903,  Mr.  Charles  A.  Hoppin 
Jr.,  a  well  known  genealogist  who  was  making  an  investigation 
in  England  at  the  expense  of  Trueman  G.  Avery  of  Buffalo,  found 
the  record  of  Christopher  Avery's  marriage  license  and  thus 
opened  the  door  for  the  discovery  of  further  facts  concerning  him 
and  his  wife.     See  map  facing  page  6. 

August  6,  1613,  at  Newton  Abbott,  Devon,  the  inventory  of 
the  estate  of  a  Christopher  Avery  was  exhibited.     It  was  dated 


28 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


July  26,  1613,  and  made  mention  of  "Too  pare  of  loums  and  cer- 
tayne  Implements  to  his  trade  belongeing."  Thus  we  know  that 
the  testator  was  a  weaver.  His  "relicte",  Johann  Avery,  was 
made  administrator  of  the  estate.  This  Christopher  Avery,  the 
father  of  Christopher  the  emigrant,  was  of  Torbrian,  in  the  arch- 
deaconry of  Totnes.  One  of  the  witnesses  to  the  above  mentioned 
inventory  was  Hugh  Sweete,  whose  name  later  appears  on  two 
other  documents  which  may  relate  to  our  Christopher  Avery. 

Among  the  marriage  licenses,  diocese  of  Exeter,  Devon,  Eng- 
land, Bishop's  registry,  city  of  Exeter,  at  the  cathedral,  is  found 
the  following,  of  great  interest  to  us: 

"1616,  Aug.  26.     Christopher  Avery e  of  Iplepen  and  Margery  Stephens 
of  Abbotts  Kersivell." 


THE    IPPLEPEN    CHURCH 


This  Christopher  Avery  of  Ipplepen  is  he  who  later  left  Devon 
with  his  only  son  to  become  the  founder  of  a  great  family  in  the 
New  World.  Ipplepen  and  Torbrian  are  but  a  few  miles  apart.  It 
is  probable  that  the  marriage  took  place  in  the  church  still  stand- 
ing at  the  former  place.  The  register  of  that  church  for  that 
period  is  sadly  mutilated  but  it  seems  to  show  that  our  Christopher 
had  a  brother  John,  who  had  a  son  John,  who  was  baptized  on  the 
fourth  of  June,  1616.     Other  members  of  the  Avery  and  Stephens 


First    Generation— Christopher    Avery    29 

families  lived  in  that  vicinity.  Mr.  Hoppin  seems  to  think  that 
Edward  and  Margaret  Stephens  of  Kingswear  were  the  parents  of 
the  wife  of  Christopher  Avery.  Edward  Stephens  was  a  mariner 
who  died  in  1626.  His  inventory  was  exhibited  at  Totnes  in 
December  of  that  year.  The  witness  thereto  was  Hugh  Sweete 
whose  name  it  will  be  remembered  was  appended  to  the  inventory 
of  Christopher  Avery's  estate.  Margaret  Stephens  died  in  1643, 
at  which  time  she  was  called  of  Brixham. 

One  William  Avery,  of  Buckland,  tanner,  transferred  to  his 
son  John,  December  14,  1623,  all  of  his  goods  for  10s.  and  an  in- 
terest in  certain  parcels  of  land,  "ye  medow  and  rake  hey."  One 
of  the  witnesses  to  this  document  was  Christopher  Avert,  probably 
Avery,  as  the  original  paper  might  show.  Thomasine,  the  "relick  " 
of  William  Avery,  administered  his  estate,  Feb.  15,  1624-25,  when 
he  was  called  ''of  Sampford."  The  witness  to  the  administration 
was  Hugh  Sweete  who  had  witnessed  the  inventories  of  the  estates 
of  Christopher  Avery  and  of  Edward  Stephens.  If  Hugh  Sweete 
knew  these  persons,  they  probably  knew  each  other.  Others  of 
that  name  in  Ipplepen  were  Theophilus  and  Richard  Stephens, 
weavers,  Agnes,  Johann,  Jeffrey,  John,  Ebbott,  and  Thomas 
Stephens.  The  earliest  known  Avery  will  from  Ipplepen  is  that  of 
Johann  Avery,  made  in  1597,  but  there  were  Averys  in  that  town 
before  that  time. 

We  have  no  certain  information  as  to  the  time  when  Christo- 
pher Avery  left  England  for  America.  In  the  opening  chapter 
of  Mr.  Sweet's  book,  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made, 
I  mentioned  two  traditions  relating  to  the  matter.  ' '  One  is  that 
he  came  from  Salisbury,  Wilts  County,  England,  in  the  '  Arbella ' 
with  [Gov.]  Winthrop,  and  landed  at  Salem,  Mass.,  June  12,  1630. 
Another  tradition  is  that  he  came  over  with  the  younger  Winthrop 
in  1631,  and  that,  on  the  voyage,  the  subsequent  governor  of  Con- 
necticut formed  a  strong  and  life-long  attachment  for  Christopher 
Avery's  young  son,  James."  For  a  dozen  years,  we  have  been 
looking  for  some  confirmation  of  either  of  these  traditions,  but 
without  success.  We  know  that  he  left  Devon ;  we  do  not  know 
when.  We  know  that  his  wife  Margery  did  not  accompany  him; 
we  do  not  know  why.  We  know  that  his  only  son  James  did  come 
with  him.  It  is  possible  that  he  sailed  from  Plymouth  or  from 
Dartmouth,  the  chief  ports  of  Devon,  Out  of  Devon  had  gone 
Drake  and  Hawkins  and  Ralegh  and  many  lesser  adventurers  to 


30  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

seek  fame  and  fortune  in  the  New  World.     Devon  men  were  ever 
longing  to  tempt  the  dangers  of  the  deep. 

We  next  find  Christopher  Avery  at  the  fishing  establishment 
at  Cape  Ann  in  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  He  may  have 
come  over  sea  with  some  fishermen  on  some  summer  voyage  and 
remained.  Tor  Bay  in  Devon,  is  the  great  trawling  region  of 
England,  and  Brixham,  only  a  few  miles  from  Ipplepen,  bears  the 
same  relation  to  England  that  Gloucester  (Cape  Ann)  does  to  New 
England.  The  administration  of  her  estate  shows  that  Margaret 
Stephens,  the  mother  of  Christopher  Avery's  wife,  was  living 
at  Brixham  in  1642. 

"Who  would  not,  will  not,  if  he  can, 
Bathe  in  the  breezes  of  fair  Cape  Ann- 
Rest  in  the  bowers  her  bays  enfold. 
Loved  by  the  sachems  and  squaws  of  old  ? 
Home  where  the  white  magnolias  bloom. 
Sweet  with  the  bayberry's  chaste  perfume, 
Hugged  by  the  woods  and  kissed  by  the  sea— 
Where  is  the  Eden  like  to  thee  ?  " 

In  his  History  of  the  Town  of  Gloucester  (Gloucester,  1860), 
Mr.  Babson  says  (page  50) : 

"At  a  General  Court,  October,  1641,  commissioners  were  appointed  to  view 
and  settle  the  bounds  of  Ipswich,  Cape  Ann  and  Jeffi'ies'  Creek  (now 
Manchester) ;  and  the  Deputy-governor  (Mr.  Endicott)  and  Messrs 
Downing  and  Hathome,  deputies  from  Salem,  or  any  two  of  them, 
were  appointed  to  dispose  of  all  lands  and  other  things  at  Cape  Ann. 
Pursuant  to  this  authority,  as  the  town  records  declare,  'the  first 
ordering,  settling,  and  disposing  of  lots  was  made  by  Mr.  Endicott 
and  Mr.  Downing,  commissioners,  2d  month,  1642.'  " 

At  the  time  of  this  disposal  of  lots,  Christopher  Avery  was  at 
Cape  Ann  as  appears  in  the  record  of  ' '  Lands  given  and  disposed 
of  and  to  whom,"  written  in  the  town-book  of  Gloucester: 

2  mo  42.     "Hugh  Calkins  hath  given  .  .  . 

Item  2  acres  of  marsh  in  Anesquam  bought  of  Thomas  Cornish  lying 
betwixt  Goodman  Wakeley  and  Christopher  Averie  by  the  sea  beach 
side." 

This  is  the  first  trace  of  Christopher  Avery  in  America  that  we 
have  found.  How  long  he  had  been  at  Cape  Ann,  prior  to  this 
date,  April,  1642,  we  do  not  know.  In  the  following  May,  the  set- 
tlement was  established  as  a  plantation  and  called  Gloucester. 
From  the  same  old  town  record,  we  copy  the  following  entries: 


First    Generation— Christopher    Avery    31 

9  mo  45.  "William  Hough  .  .  .  has  6  acres  of  the  19th  Lott  of  upland  on 
planters  neck  lying  between  Christopher  Averie  and  that  lot  which  was 
Mr.  [WiUiam]  Stevens,  the  18th  lott." 

Query. — Was  this  Mr.  Stevens  from  Devon  and  was  he  of  the 
family  of  Christopher  Avery's  wife  ? 

7  mo  47.  "3  acres  of  marsh  lying  by  the  Island  now  in  the  hands  of  Cap- 
tain Perkins  at  the  southwest  end  lyeing  by  that  pee  of  marsh  left  for 
the  teaching  elders  and  next  to  the  two  pscUs  of  marsh  one  acre  of 
Captain  Perkins"  to  Christopher  Avery. 

1  mo  49.  "Walter  Tybott  is  given  4  akers  of  upland  with  the  marsh  be- 
fore next  to  Christopher  Averie.  ..." 

5  mo  49.  "Christopher  Averie  hath  given  him  4  akers  of  upland  and  half 
a  house  lott  lying  between  Edward  Rouse  and  Walter  Tybott  that 
now  is. 

Item  3  akers  of  marsh  running  up  to  the  beach  and  lying  between  Mr. 
Stevens   and  Hugh  Calkins  at  the  higher  end  of  Annesquam  River 
mouth. 
Item  3  akers  of  marsh  at  Chebacco. ' ' 

25:6:51.  "Christopher  Avery  bought  of  James  Avery  his  sonne  all  his 
rights  or  possessions,  as  well  houses  as  lands,  marshes  as  uplands, 
abroad  as  well  as  at  home,  lying  within  ye  bounds  of  Gloster,  and 
being  in  ye  possession  of  ye  said  James  Avery,  sonne  to  the  said 
Christopher,  together  with  all  the  appurtenances  or  privileges  thereto 
belonging  ye  25,  ye  6,  1651." 

4.  8.  1651.  "Cristofer  Averie  hath  given  a  parcle  of  land  to  him  to  make 
his  fences  goe  strait  from  the  corner  of  his  fences  which  was  formerly 
Jeames  Smiths  and  so  to  be  carried  strait  to  the  end  of  the  marsh  at 
the  head  of  the  cove  so  far  as  his  marsh  goeth." 

29  10  mo.  51.  "Given  unto  William  Stevens  by  the  Town  eight  acres  of 
marsh  the  northern  end  butting  to  that  which  was  Christopher  Averies 
at  the  sea  beach  in  Annesquam  River." 

27:4:52.     "John  Harding  bought  of  William  Sargent  ...  4  akers  of  up- 
land lying  on  the  south  side  of  Philip  Stainwood's  land. 
3  acres  of  salt  marsh  in  Anesquam  running  along  the  beach. 
3  acres  of   marsh  in  Chebacco— all  of  which  land  was  given  by  the 
town  to  Christopher  Avery." 

12:12:1652.  "William  Walker  sould  to  Christofer  Avery  2  akers  of  upland 
lying  in  the  harbor  at  the  head  of  the  house  lots." 

12:12:1652.  "Christopher  Avery  sould  to  William  Walker  3  acres  of  marsh 
in  Chebacco  bounded  with  Goodman  Evelyn's  marsh  on  the  north  and 
Thomas  Skelin  his  marsh  on  the  east  and  a  beach  on  the  southwest. 
This  was  formerly  given  to  James  Avery. 

Item  to  acres  which  was  given  to  Christopher  Avery  which  is  the  2  lott 
in  number  bounded  with  Zebulon  Hills  marsh  on  the  northeast  and  James 
Babcock's  marsh  on  the  southeast  and  butts  northerly  upon  an  island." 


32  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


Query.— Does  not  the  fact  that  Christopher  Avery  had  been 
given  lot  No.  2  also  indicate  that  he  was  one  of  the  original  set- 
tlers of  Gloucester  ? 

5th  of  8th  mo.  1653.  ' '  Christo  Avery  have  sould  to  Thorn  Bray  3  acres  of 
salt  marsh  lying  near  Bisker  Island."  .  .  . 

As  already  shown,  Christopher  Avery  had  land  adjoining  the 
land  of  Hugh  Calkins.  He  also  had,  on  Fisherman's  field,  land 
that  he  sold  to  Elias  Parkman,  as  will  subsequently  appear. 

The  fact  that  Christopher  Avery  was  ' '  living  absent  from  his 
wife"  was  not  to  be  overlooked  in  a  community  that  was  under 
the  domination  of  the  Massachusetts  theocracy  of  that  period. 
The  orthodox  clergy  ruled  in  things  secular  as  well  as  in  things 
spiritual  and,  under  their  guidance,  courts  and  town  meetings 
regulated  the  daily  life  of  each  member  of  the  community  and 
interfered  in  the  management  of  his  domestic  affairs  in  a  way 
that  would  not  be  tolerated  now.  Nothing  was  too  trival  for  grave 
consideration  by  even  the  highest  authority  in  the  colony.  For 
example,  the  records  and  files  of  the  Salem  court  show: 

30:10:1647.  "Richard  Windrow  of  Gloster  fined  for  cursing,  saying,  'There 
are  the  brethren,  the  Devil  scald  them.'  " 

26:10:1649.  "  Mathew  Stanley  for  drawing  away  the  affections  of  the 
daughter  of  John  Tarboxx  his  wife  without  liberty  first  obteyned  of  her 
parents." 

30:4:1653.  "Theophilus  Salter  fined  five  pounds  for  making  love  to  Mary 
Smith  and  seeking  to  marry  her  without  the  consent  of  her  friends." 

26:10:1649.  "  Mary  Oliver  for  speaking  against  the  Governor  saying  he 
was  unjust.     Sentenced  to  be  whipped  not  exceeding  twenty  lashes. 

10  mo.  1652.  "Mrs.  Holgrave  of  Gloster  presented  for  reproachful  and 
unbecoming  speeches  against  Mr.  William  Perkins,  an  officer  of  the 
church,  viz:  'yt  it  were  not  ffor  the  law  she  would  never  come  to  the 
meeting  the  Teacher  was  soe  dead  &  accordinglye  she  did  seldome  come 
&  withall  pswaded  Goodwife  Vincent  to  come  to  her  house  on  the  Sab- 
bath daye  &  reade  good  bookes  affirming  that  the  Teacher  was  flSter 
to  be  a  Ladyes  chamberman  than  to  be  in  ye  pulpit.'  Fined  and  to 
confess  it  at  Gloster  pubHckly." 

10  mo.  1652.  "Alice,  daughter  of  william  flflint  of  Salem,  presented  for 
wearing  silk  hood.  He  was  proved  to  be  worth  over  £200  and  she  was 
discharged." 

29:4:1652.     "John  Brackenbury  of  Salem  presented  for  wearing  point  and 

ribbons." 
30:9:1652.     "  Marke  Hoskall  of  Salem  fined  for  excess  in  his  apparel,  wear- 
ing broad  lace." 


First    Generation— Christopher   Avery    33 


^>-^.A:-\  ^, 


<!^ 


34  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


30:9:1652.     "Henry  Bullocke  of  Salem  fined  for  excess  in  his  apparel  in 

boots,  ribbons,  gold  and  silver  lace." 
30:9:1652.     "  Richard  Greene  of  Lynn  fined  for  wearing  silver  lace." 
30:4:1653.     "John  Tompkins  wife  fined  for  wearing  a  silk  hood." 

Many  such  entries  appear  in  the  records. 
27:9:1655.     "John  Beall  fined  for  absence  from  meeting." 

The  above  is  only  one  of  many  such. 

"Constable  of  Salem  to  have  two  shiUings  and  sixpence  for  those  they 

whip."     (29:9:1653.) 
29:9:1656.     "William  Everton  presented  for  drinking  tobacco  near  a  barn 

without  a  door.     He  is  at  sea." 

Many  were  fined  for  drinking  tobacco  (i.e.,  smoking)  on   the 

highway. 

In  the  Ipswich  court  records  we  read: 

24:7:1650.  "Thomas  Scott  did  not  come  to  make  known  that  he  had 
learned  Mr.  Norton's  catechism." 

From  the  Essex  quarterly  records  and  files  one  may  learn: 

27:10:1642.  "Christopher  Avery  was  presented  for  living  absent  from  his 
wife." 

13:6:1647.  "Christopher  Avery  and  Richard  Windrow  presented  for  living 
from  their  wives.     Witness,  WiUiam  Vincent,  Andrew  Lester." 

1653.  ' '  Christopher  Avery  of  Gloster  presented  for  many  years  for  living 
from  his  wife,  she  living  in  England.  Witness  Robert  Brooks  of  Glos- 
ter and  his  wife." 

Fortunately,  the  defendant's  culpability  in  this  matter  was 
determined  by  the  highest  authority  in  the  colony. 

Oct.  19.  1654.  "Christopher  Auery  being  fined  20  H,  at  Ipswich  Court  for 
liuing  from  his  wife,  vppon  his  pet  to  this  Court,  being  aged  &  poore 
&  havinge  vsed  meanes  to  pcure  his  wife  hither,  his  fine  is  remitted." 
(Mass.  Rec,  3:361^.) 

"In  ansr  to  the  peticon  of  Christopher  Awerey,  the  Court,  vnderstanding 
the  peticoner  is  very  poore  and  aged,  having  nothing  to  pay,  and  that 
he  has  vsed  his  endeavor  to  have  his  wife  brought  ouer  to  him,  judge 
meete  to  remitt  his  fine  and  that  his  peticon  is  receaved  freely." 
{Mass.  Rec,  A:210.) 

This  seems  to  have  put  an  end  to  the  official  consideration  of  the 
' '  absence. ' '  We  have  found  no  further  allusion  to  it.  In  1648,  the 
above  mentioned  Richard  Windrow  was  again  presented  for  living 
from  his  wife.     He  proved  that  she  was  dead  and  was  discharged. 


First    Generation — Christopher    Avery    35 

Under  the  conditions  then  existing,  public  policy  demanded  the 
presence  of  wives  in  the  new  plantation,  public  sentiment  was  in 
accord  therewith,  and  nearly  every  inhabitant  was  ready  to  act 
as  public  prosecutor  in  such  cases.  In  consequence,  we  find  a 
great  many  records  of  men  presented  for  living  from  their  wives; 
often  as  many  as  nine  or  ten  in  one  short  session;  often  as  many 
as  five  or  six  in  one  group. 

Additional  to  the  offense  above  mentioned  was  his  evident 
lack  of  sympathy  with  the  ministers.  The  Salem  quarterly  court 
records  show — 

"11:7:1649.  Christopher  Avery  presented  for  speaking  scoffingly  of  Mr. 
BHnman.  The  return  of  the  constable  says  the  defendant  has  gone 
to  Boston  to  Hve. " 

We  do  not  know  what  authority  the  constable  had  for  such  a 
return,  for  we  have  abundant  evidence  that  Christopher  Avery 
lived  at  Gloucester  several  years  after  that.  Mr.  Blinman,  the 
minister  in  question,  was  a  not  altogether  amiable  character.  His 
record  at  New  Plymouth  and  Gloucester  shows  that,  at  each  place, 
he  had  trouble  with  members  of  his  flock  more  serious  than  that 
above  recorded.  John  Winthrop  writes  concerning  Mr.  Blinman 
at  Green  Harbor:  "But  ere  the  yere  was  expired  there  fell  out 
differences  among  them,  which  could  by  no  means  be  reconciled, 
so  they  agreed  to  part. "  Jonathan  Brewster,  writing  from  Pequot 
(New  London)  in  1657,  says  of  Mr.  Blinman:  "but  his  perverse 
will,  who  can  endure  noe  opposition  or  contradiction,  but  in  a  way 
episcopall  &  tiranicall,  if  he  had  power  to  his  will,  both  in  Church 
&  Towne,  that  I  professe  he  is  not  very  qualifyed  for  a  pastor 
in  way  of  government  ".  (See  New  England  Historical  and  Gene- 
alogical Register,  vol.  54,  p.  41.)  It  seems  that  in  some  matter 
under  discussion  Brewster  had  opposed  the  minister's  judgment, 
and  the  town  had  declared  that  except  the  latter  ' '  would  practice 
that  conclusion,  the[y]  would  not  paie  his  maintenance."  The 
matter  was  adjusted  and  Blinman  was  asked  to  stay.  "After  in 
his  publick  teachings,"  says  Brewster,  "he  throwed  balles  of  fyer 
against  particular  persons  &  espetially  against  myself,  thoughe 
not  named,  that  gave  great  offence. ' '  Matters  grew  from  bad  to 
worse  and  the  angry  pastor  left  New  London. 

But  there  was  evidently  something  the  matter  with  Christopher 
Avery  more  serious  than  his   personal   dislike  for   Pastor  Blin- 


ddJ^'^  f^^^  t 


36  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

man.  The  same  court  records  show  the  bond  of  Christopher 
Avery  and  Richard  Beford  to  Robert  Lord,  marshal,  conditioned 
that  said  Avery  shall  appear  at  the  Ipswich  court  to  answer  Mr. 
William  Perkins,   17:7:1653.     His  signature  to  this  bond  is  here 

given  in  facsimile.  He  is  charged 
dth  speaking  in  town  meeting  against 
person  and  ministry  of  Mr. 
William  Perkins,  their  teacher,  i.e., 
assistant  minister.  Witnesses:  William  Evans,  Richard  Beford, 
William  Vincent,  Edward  Mils. 

After  much  investigation  and  deliberation,  we  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  Christopher  Avery  was  more  in  sympathy  with 
the  church  established  in  England  than  he  was  with  the  church 
established  in  Massachusetts.  The  number  of  persons  in  the  col- 
ony at  this  time  who  were  similarily  disaffected  is  much  larger 
than  is  generally  understood— thanks  to  the  biased  writings  of 
New  England's  school  of  filio-pietistic  historians.* 

In  1631,  this  theocracy  had  excluded  all  but  members  of  the 
established  church  from  the  right  of  full  and  free  suffrage.  At 
that  time,  the  Massachusetts  general  court  set  up  this  religious 
test: 

"To  the  end  that  the  body  of  the  commons  may  be  preserved  of  honest 
and  good  men,  it  was  likewise  ordered  and  decreed  that  for  time  to 
come  no  man  shall  be  admitted  to  the  freedom  of  this  body  polliticke  but 
such  as  are  members  of  some  of  the  [recognized,  i.e.,  Congregational] 
churches  within  the  lymitts  of  the  same. ' ' 

This  limited  active  colonial  citizenship  to  church  members.  In 
1660,  the  general  court  declared  that  only  those  who  were  in 
full  communion  with  the  ' '  orthodox ' '  churches  could  be  freemen. 
In  1664,  under  pressure  from  the  government  of  England,  this 
rule  was  slightly  modified,  but  practically  there  was  no  change  in 
the  system  until  the  overthrow  of  the  Massachusetts  charter  in 
1668.  It  should  be  understood  that  town-meeting  suffrage  was 
not  strictly  limited  to  freemen.  The  "Inhabitants"  of  the  town 
constituted  a  larger  class  that  included  the   "Freemen".      On 


*As  I  am  a  member  of  a  Congregational  church  and  have  lineal  descent 
from  some  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  early  Massachusetts  theo- 
cratic government,  I  probably  feel  a  greater  freedom  in  speaking  of  the  Con- 
gregational hierarchy  than  I  otherwise  should. —E.  M.  A. 


First    Generation— Christopher    Avery    37 

many  purely  local  questions  all  inhabitants  might  vote,  but  on 
matters  of  more  general  application,  such  as  the  election  of  magis- 
trates and  deputies  to  the  general  court,  the  admission  of  ' '  inhabi- 
tants ' '  to  the  town,  the  laying  out  of  lands,  and  the  like,  only 
freemen  were  permitted  to  vote.  Thus  was  the  great  majority 
of  the  men  of  Massachusetts  excluded  from  the  higher  rights 
of  active  citizenship — a  significant  illustration  of  the  aristocratic 
tendency  of  the  Puritan  church-state  system. 

In  1646,  Robert  Child,  Samuel  Maverick,  David  Yale  (the 
father  of  the  founder  of  a  great  American  university)  and  others, 
sent  to  the  Massachusetts  general  court  a  remonstrance  and  peti- 
tion setting  forth: 

"  There  are  many  thousands  in  these  plantations  of  the  English  nation, 
freeborne,  quiett,  and  peaceable  men,  righteous  in  their  dealings,  for- 
ward with  heart,  hand  and  purse  to  advance  the  public  good  .  .  .  who 
are  debarred  from  all  civil  employments  (without  any  just  cause  that 
we  know)  not  being  permitted  to  bear  the  least  office  (though  it  can- 
not be  denyed  that  some  are  well  qualified) ,  no  not  so  much  as  to  have 
any  votes  in  chooseing  magistrates,  captains,  or  other  civill  and  mili- 
tary officers,  and  that  there  are  divers  sober,  righteous  and  godly  men, 
eminent  for  knowledge  and  their  gracious  gifts  of  the  holy  spirit,  noe 
wayes  scandalous  in  their  lives  and  conversation,  members  of  the 
church  of  England  (in  all  ages  famous  for  piety  and  learning)  not  dis- 
senting from  the  latest  and  best  reformation  in  England,  Scotland,  &c. 
yet  they  and  their  posterity  are  deteined  from  the  seales  of  the  cove- 
nant of  free  grace  because  as  it  is  supposed,  they  will  not  take  these 
churches  covenants,  for  which  as  yet  they  see  no  light  in  God's  word 
.  .  .  we  therefore  humbly  entreat  you  ...  to  give  liberty  to  the 
members  of  the  church  of  England,  not  scandalous  in  their  lives  and 
conversations  to  be  taken  into  your  congregation  and  enjoy  with  you 
all  those  liberties  and  ordinances  Christ  hath  purchased  for  them  and 
into  whose  name  they  are  baptized;  ...  if  not,  we  and  they  shall  be 
necessitated  to  apply  our  humble  desires  to  the  honorable  Houses  of 
Parliament." 

A  few  years  before  this,  the  Long  Parliament  had  abolished 
episcopacy  in  England,  and  the  authors  of  this  apparently  reason- 
able petition  were  charged  with  going  about  ' '  to  set  up  the  same 
things  according  to  Presbytery."  Moreover,  these  petitioners, 
who  urged  that  they  were  required,  under  penalty,  to  go  to  the 
Congregational  church  every  Lord's  day,  often  to  linger  there  to 
see  administered  to  other  men's  children  baptism  that  was  denied 
to  their  own,  and  to  contribute  to  the  maintenance  of  ministers 


38  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

' '  who  vouchsafed  not  to  take  them  into  their  flock  though  desir- 
ous of  the  ordinances  of  God,"  these  men  saw  their  petition  dis- 
missed as  httle  less  than  treason,  and  were  subjected  to  repeated 
fines,  and  some  of  them  to  six  months'  imprisonment.  It  is  better 
here  to  pass  over  in  silence  the  treatment  that  the  Massachusetts 
theocracy  measured  out  to  such  "heretics"  as  the  Anabaptists 
and  the  Quakers,  In  such  an  atmostphere  as  this,  we  need  little 
wonder  that  a  man  like  Christopher  Avery,  probably  not  over 
"spiritually  minded"  and  yet,  possibly  like  Roger  Williams, 
somewhat  "conscientiously  contentious,"  would,  now  and  then, 
let  slip  an  injudicious  expression  of  an  honest  opinion  that  got 
him  into  trouble,  or  that,  until  1652,  he  refused  to  submit  himself 
to  church  fellowship  and  discipline  in  order  to  become  a  freeman 
of  the  colony. 

Whether  the  foregoing  is  or  is  not  an  accurate  exposition  of 
the  causes  of  his  scoffing  and  of  his  digression  from  the  Puritan 
path,  the  Gloucester  town  records  plainly  show  that  Christopher 
Avery  had  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  majority  of  the  in- 
habitants, as  witnesseth  the  following  from  the  Gloucester  town 
records,  vol.  1: 

"Upon  the  4th  day  of  the  10th  month  1646,  Thomas  Wakeley,  Hugh  Cal- 
kins, will  Vinson,  John  Collins,  and  Christopher  Averie  were  chosen 
by  the  Towne  for  ordering  of  all  Towne  affaires." 

"27  November,  1650,  Mr.  Stevens  and  Christopher  Avery  were  at  a  Towne 
meeting  chosen  by  ye  Towne  to  supply  ye  places  which  were  voyd  by 
ye  death  of  Walter  Tybott  and  departure  of  Mr.  Hough." 

"28:8:1651.  Christopher  Averie  is  chosen  to  be  a  measurer  to  lay  out 
Lottes  granted  by  the  Townsmen." 

"1652.  William  Stevens,  Robert  Tucker,  Robert  Elwell,  Christer  Averie, 
George  IngersoU  are  chosen  by  the  Towne  for  the  ordering  of  the 
Towne  affaires." 

"  3 :2 :1653.  Christopher  Averie  and  John  Collins  measure  the  meeting  house 
plane." 

"1654.  Christopher  Avery,  John  Hardin,  Robert  Elwell,  Richard  Wind- 
row, Samuel  Dolliver,  are  chosen  to  take  charge  of  the  Towne 
affaires." 

In  the  Essex  County  court  records  and  files  we  find  this: 

"28:10:1647.     Christopher  Avery  sworn  constable  of  Gloucester." 

In  the  Salem  quarterly  court  records  and  files  we  note  some  of 
the  other  offices  held  by  Christopher  Avery: 


C^y^^y^/^  cfi^^ 


First    Generation — Christopher    Avery    39 

"Court  29:4:1652. 

"Christopher  Avery  and  Silvester  Everly  of  Gloster  sworn  freemen." 
"Christopher  Avery  chosen  and  sworn  clerk  of  the  band  of  Gloster." 
"Christopher  Avery  chosen  and  sworn  clerk  of  the  market  of  Gloster. " 

The  original  inventory  of  the  estate  of  William  Southmead, 
taken  16:12:1648,  by  William  Adies  and  Christopher  Avery  is  on 

file  in  the  Salem 
court.  The  signa- 
ture of  Christo- 
pher Avery,  taken 
from  that  docu- 
ment, is  here  given  in  facsimile;  the  "first  scratch  of  his  pen" 
that  has  ever  been  known  to  his  living  descendants. 

Prior  to  this,  the  son,  James  Avery,  had  left  Gloucester  and 
settled  at  Pequot  Plantation  on  the  Thames  River,  Connecticut. 
About  1655,  Christopher  Avery  left  Gloucester  for  Boston,  where 
the  town  records  show: 

"30:5:55.     Christopher  Avery  is  admitted  an  inhabitant." 

About  this  time,  Christopher  Avery  disposed  of  his  lands  at 
Gloucester,  as  the  following  records  show: 

1  mo.  56-57.  Christopher  Avery  sold  to  Elias  Parkman  "...  4  pole  of 
Ground  which  the  towne  gave  to  Christopher  Avery  lyinge  at  Mr.  Hol- 
graves  house  end  in  which  he  bilded  a  littell  house." 

With  this  he  sold  to  the  same  Elias  Parkman, 

' '  2  acres  of  land  in  ffishermans  ffield  and  2  acres  of  land  lying  at  the  head 
of  the  house  lotts  in  the  head  of  the  harbour  at  the  end  of  Thomas 
Princes  lots  northwest  and  6  rods  square  lyinge  betwist  Phineas  Rider 
and  goodman  Jones  his  land  to  him  and  his  eares  forever." 

"the  5th  of  the  3  month,  1658."  Christopher  Avery  doth 
sell  and  record  unto  Nicholas  Marshall, 

"my  house  and  land  lying  in  Gloucester  near  Thomas  Skellians  containing 
in  marsh  11  or  12  acres  more  or  less  with  the  house  and  land  belonging 
to  it  2  acres  of  the  land  being  at  the  head  of  Thomas  Skellians  house 
lot." 

On  the  18th  of  March,  1659,  Christopher  Avery,  weaver, 
bought  of  John  and  Luce  Samuell,  for  the  sum  of  forty  pounds, 
a  home  in  what  is  now  the  business  center  of  Boston.  The  lot 
was  twenty-six  by  forty-six  feet  and  was  located  at  what  is  now 
the  center  of  the  post-office  building  that  faces  on  Devonshire 


40  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


street.  The  famous  old  spring  that  gave  the  name  Spring  Lane 
and  that  is  now  preserved  under  the  post-ofRce  was  near.  Chris- 
topher Avery  did  not  retain  this  property  a  great  while  for,  on  the 
"two  and  twentieth  day  of  march  one  thousand  Sixe  hundred 
Sixty  &  three,"  he  sold  the  place  to  Ambrose  Dew  for  forty 
pounds.  There  had  evidently  been  no  increase  in  the  value  of  the 
property  during  the  time  that  he  held  it. 
The  property  is  thus  described: 

"  The  one  moyty  or  halfe  part  of  theire  dwelling  house  scittuate  and  being 
in  Boston  aforesaid  videljzt  the  North  end  thereof  conteyning  one  Un- 
der roome  a  chamber  ouer  the  same  and  a  vane  roofe  ouer  that  wth. 
a  seller  vnder  sajd  Roome  according  as  is  marked  and  layd  out  by 
Leftennant  Richard  Cooke  and  Peter  Oliuer  wth  all  the  Chimneys  be- 
longing to  the  North  end  of  sajd  house  so  farre  as  by  the  sajd  Cooke 
and  Oliuer  is  marked  out  with  so  much  of  the  Leanto  as  extends  to 
the  sajd  dividing  marke  of  the  sajd  chimmeys  wth  the  Ground  on  sajd 
North  end  of  the  sajd  house  also  the  Ground  on  both  sides  the  sajd 
house  to  extend  so  farre  vpon  a  square  from  the  sajd  North  end  as  the 
sajd  dividing  marke  of  the  sajd  chimneys  which  Ground  was  likewise 
lajd  out  by  the  sajd  Cooke  &  oliuer  which  ground  so  marked  out  as 
aforesaid  for  the  sajd  Avery  is  bounded  &  fronts  next  the  streete  west 
likewise  bounded  with  the  land  of  Mathew  Coy  north  wth  the  orchard 
of  Henry  Bridgeham  east  and  wth  the  residew  or  rest  of  the  land 
belonging  to  the  other  half  of  the  sajd  house  remayning  in  the  hands 
and  possession  of  them  the  sajd  John  Samuell  and  Luce  his  sajd  wife 
South  which  sajd  house  wth  the  appurtenances  they  the  sajd  John 
Samuell  and  Luce  his  sajd  wife  purchased  of  Captaine  James  Johnson 
as  in  the  deede  by  the  sajd  Johnson  vnto  them  sealed  bearing  date  the 
thirtieth  day  of  January  in  the  yeare  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  sixe 
hundred  fiff ty  sixe  appeareth. ' '     (Siijffolk  Deeds,  3:2H. ) 

Christopher  Avery  soon  followed  his  son  James  to  Pequot  on  the 
Thames,  now  New  London.  August  8,  1665,  he  there  purchased 
a  house,  orchard,  and  lot  of  Robert  Burrows.  This  land  after- 
wards passed  into  possession  of  his  only  child,  James  Avery,  who, 
in  turn,  deeded  it  to  his  four  sons,  James,  Thomas,  John,  and 
Samuel.  Some  of  this  land,  if  not  all  of  it,  was  situated  on  the 
"Great  Neck."  On  the  sixth  of  June,  1666,  the  county  court 
freed  Christopher  Avery  from  training  on  account  of  his  age. 
The  name  of  Christopher  Avery  is  found  on  the  jury  list  for  the 
county  court  under  date  of  June  5,  1667.  On  the  fourteenth  of 
October,  1669,  Christopher  Avery,  and  his  grandson,  James 
Avery,  were  made  freemen  of  the  colony,  by  the  general  court  of 
Connecticut. 


FACSIMILE    OF    A    PAGE    FROM    CHRISTOPHER    AVERY'S    BIBLE 


42  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Christopher  Avery  brought  with  him  from  the  old  country  a 
Bible,  known  as  the  Breeches  Bible,  the  seventh  verse  of  the 
third  chapter  of  Genesis  reading  as  follows: 

"  Then  the  eyes  of  them  both  were  opened  and  they  knew  that  they  were 
naked,  and  they  sewed  figge  tree  leaves  together  and  made  themselves 
breeches." 

This  Bible  has  descended  from  father  to  son  and  is  now  the  prop- 
erty of  the  widow  of  James  Oliver  Avery  of  San  Francisco. 

The  town  clerk  of  New  London,  Charles  Hill,  made  this  record: 
"Christopher  Avery's  death,  vide  near  the  death  of  Mother 
Brewster, ' '  but  the  date  of  her  death  does  not  appear.  Thomas 
Minor's  diary  records  that  Christopher  Avery  was  buried  March 
12,  1679. 

Child  of  Christopher  and  Margery  (Stephens)  Avery: 

2.     i.    James'  Avery,  b.  about  1620,  in  England. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  SECOND  GENERATION— JAMES  AVERY. 

2.  Captain  James'  Avery  {Christopher^)  was  b.  about  1620,  in 
England;  m.  1st,  November  10,  1643,  at  Boston,  Joanna  Green- 
slade ;  m.  2d,  July  4,  1698,  Abigail,  widow  of  Joshua  Holmes. 

Captain  James  Avery  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  founder  of  the 
family  or  clan  that  we  call  the  Groton  Averys.  That  he  was  the 
only  child  of  Christopher  Avery  is  plainly  seen  by  the  following 
entry  on  the  books  of  the  county  court  of  New  London,  Connec- 
ticut, November  24,  1683: 

"Capt.  James  Avery  appearing  in  this  Court  and  there  Declaring  himself 
the  only  sonn  &  heir  of  his  Father  Mr.  Christopher  Avery  deceased 
and  that  there  was  neither  sonn  or  Daughter  but  himself  was  sole  heir 
and  he  desiring  this  court  would  so  constitute  him  and  give  him  power 
of  administration  upon  the  said  estate  of  his  father  deceased.  This 
Court  having  duly  considered  what  hath  been  alleadged  do  approve  of 
the  same  and  judge  the  said  Capt.  James  Avery  to  be  the  right  and 
full  heir  to  the  said  estate  and  do  give  him  power  of  administrator  to 
the  estate  of  Mr.  Christopher  Avery  his  deceased  father. 

Attest  Charles  Hill  Rec." 

James  Avery  came  to  America  with  his  father  and  lived  at 
Gloucester  for  several  years.  He  was  married  November  10,  1643, 
as  appears  by  the  records  of  Gloucester: 

''James  Avery  married  to  Joane November  10,  1643." 

That  her  name  was  Joane  Greenslade  is  learned  from  her  letter  of 
dismissal  from  the  church  at  Boston  to  the  one  at  Gloucester  in 
1644.  The  first  volume  of  admissions  of  the  First  Church  of 
Boston  contains  what  little  information  we  have  been  able  to  glean 
concerning  Joane  Greenslade.  On  page  63  is  a  list  of  six  names 
of  whicli  hers  stands  third  among  the  admissions  as  follows: 

"The  18th  day  of  ye  4th  Moneth  1643 
Joan  Greenslade,  a  single  woman." 

On  page  66  of  the  same  volume  is  an  entry  showing  her  dis- 
missal to  the  church  of  Gloucester: 


44  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

"The  17th  day  of  ye  1st  Moneth  1644  Our  Sister  Joan  Greenslade  now  ye 
wife  of  one  James  Averill  of  Gloster  had  granted  hir  by  ye  Churches 
silence  Ires  of  Recomend  to  ye  Church  at  Gloster. ' ' 

She,  however,  seems  to  have  retained  her  connection  with  the 
First  Church  at  Boston,  for  on  page  97  of  the  book  of  admissions 
is  the  record: 

"oe  Sister  Joan  Avery  wth  ye  Consent  of  ye  whole  church  was  dismist 
unto  ye  church  of  christ  at  Pekot  on  ye  31  of  ye  6th  mo  1651." 

This  is  the  earliest  reference  to  the  Church  of  Christ  at  Pe- 
quot  (New  London)  that  has  been  found,  and  shows  that  there 
was  a  regularly  organized  church  there  before  August  31,  1651. 
The  earliest  date  that  the  Rev.  S.  Leroy  Blake,  in  his  chapter 
on  the  origin  of  this  church,  was  able  to  quote  is  August  28,  1654. 
The  probabilities  are  that  the  church  emigrated  in  a  body  from 
Gloucester,  as  Mr.  Blake  suggests,  but  the  first  member  of  the 
church  at  New  London  of  whom  we  have  positive  and  document- 
ary evidence  is  Joane  Avery.  Nothing  is  known  of  her  ancestry. 
A  petition  with  the  following  heading: 

"1663,  July  4,  A  Declaration  of  ye  Townes  of  Scarborow  &  Tfalmouth 
Black  point  &  Casco  to  be  Presented  to  ye  Hond  Court  att  York," 

carries  numerous  signatures,  including  that  of  Thomas  Greenslad. 
At  that  time  the  province  of  Maine  was  claimed  by  the  heirs  of  Sir 
Ferdinando  Gorges  and  by  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  the 
struggle  for  jurisdiction  ending  in  favor  of  the  Bay  Colony  in  1677. 
A  possible  relationship  between  Thomas  Greenslad  and  Joane 
Greenslade  is  suggested  by  the  fact  that  the  first  born  son  of  the 
latter  was  named  James  (for  the  husband)  and  that  the  second 
born  was  named  Thomas.  Hotton's  List  of  Early  Emigrants  has 
the  following: 

_     "  Samuel  Greensilde  aged  27  and  Barbary  his  wife  aged  35,  with  2  children, 
Mary  and  Barbara  came  over  in  1637.     A  weaver  from  Norwich. ' ' 

Among  those  who  were  granted  permission  to  go  from  the  Barba- 
does  to  Antigua,  Hotton  records  the  following: 

"Greenslatt  Thomas  [October  7,  1679]  in  the  Sloop  true  friendship  for 

Antegua. 

Charles  Kallahane,  Comandr. " 

It  has  also  been  stated  that  Joane's  father  was  an  Edward  Green- 
slade  of  Boston,    but   of   him   nothing   has   been   learned.     The 


Second  Generation— James  Avery         45 

Greenslades  of  England  are  a  distinctively  Devon  family  and  very 
numerous  there,  anciently  and  at  present. 

James  Avery  was  early  a  land  owner  at  Gloucester  as  is 
shown  by  extracts  from  the  town  book  containing  an  account  of 
"Land  laid  out  and  to  whom: " 

9  mo.  [16]45.     "Andrew  Listei-  had  8  acres  of  upland  upon  Planter's  Neck, 

running  from  Lobster  Cove  to  the  sea,  the  24th  lott  next  to  James 

Averies. " 
1  mo.  [16]47.     "James    Averie    Given    6  acres  of   upland  at  the  hed  of 

Little  River  to  be  laide  out." 
26.  3.   [16]5L     "Also  the   said  Richard   Beefor  bought    of   James    Avery 

three  acres  of  upland." 
15.  10.   [16]  53.     James  Avery  had  marsh  at  Chebacco. 

The  following  items  are  from  the  Salem  quarterly  court  records 
and  files: 

1:11;  1645.     James  Avery  of  Gloucester  took  the  oath  of  freeman. 
25:  10;  1649.     James  Averey  grand  juryman  from  Gloster. 
24:     4;  1650.     James  Averey  grand  juryman. 

About  this  time  James  Avery  determined  to  join  those  who 
were  seeking  homes  at  Pequot  (New  London,  Conn.).  Miss  Caul- 
kins's  History  of  Netv  London,  p.  67,  says: 

' '  On  the  nineteenth  of  October,  1650,  grants  were  made  by  the  townsmen 
to  '  Mr.  Blynman,  Obadiah  Bruen,  Hughe  Calkin,  Hughe  Roberts,  John 
Coite,  Andrew  Lester,  James  Averye,  Robert  Isbell. '  " 

"These  were  all  from  Gloucester,  a  town  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Massa- 
chusetts, situated  upon  the  peninsula  of  Cape  Ann.  Mr.  Richard 
Blinman  had  been  the  minister  of  Gloucester  for  eight  years,  and  was 
now  engaged  to  become  the  minister  of  the  Pequot  plantation.  The 
others  were  a  party  of  his  friends  who  purposed  to  move  with  him, 
and  came  to  make  preparatory  arrangements." 

It  appears  that  James  Avery  went  back  to  Gloucester,  sold  his 
possessions  there  to  his  father,  and,  in  1651,  returned  to  New 
London.  In  March  of  that  year,  the  main  body  of  these  eastern 
emigrants  arrived. 

"Early  in  1651,  New  Street,  in  the  rear  of  the  town  plot,  was  opened  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  Cape  Ann  company.  This  position  was 
designated  as  '  beyond  the  brook  and  the  ministry  lot. '  It  was  carved 
into  house  lots  and  took  the  name  of  Cape  Ann  Lane.  The  lots  on 
this  street  were  nine  in  number,  of  six  acres  each,  extending  both 
sides  of  the  narrow  street,  from  the  alder  swamp  in  front  to  Cedar 
Swamp  on  the  west.  Beginning  at  the  lower  end,  Hugh  Calkins  had 
the  first  lot  by  the  Lyme  road,  or  highway  to  Nahantick,  as  it  was 
then  called,  and  next  to  him  was  his  son-in-law,  Hugh  Roberts;  then 
Coite,  Lester,  Avery,  AUyn,  Meades,  Hough,  Isbell."  (Hist,  of  Neiv 
London,  p.  71.) 


46  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

The  lots  on  Cape  Ann  Lane  were  inconvenient  and  dreary  and 
the  soil  was  hard  to  cultivate.  The  settlers  soon  abandoned  the 
land  to  pasturage  or  waste  and  found  other  homesteads.  In  the 
New  London  book  of  grants  is  a  record  of  the  various  parcels 
given  to  James  Avery.     The  following  are  some  of  the  grants: 

"March  15,  1650-51.  James  Avery  hath  given  him  by  ye  Townsmen  of 
Pequot  two  acres  of  meadow  lying  in  Quaganapoxet  bounded  toward 
the  north  by  Ralph  Parkers  and  toward  ye  southwest  by  Robert  Allen 
the  length  being  28  poles  from  ye  upland  and  twelve  poles  in  breadth 
more  or  less  laid  out  by  ye  measurers. 

Also  he  hath  given  him  six  acres  of  upland  for  a  hous-lot  toward  ye  south- 
west side  of  ye  brook  that  runns  into  ye  coave  called  close  coave  and 
toward  ye  northwest  side  of  Andrew  Lester's  lott  and  toward  ye  south- 
east side  of  Robert  Allen's  house  lott  forty  poles  long  and  twenty-four 
poles  broad  being  the  fifth  lot  in  new  street. 

April  20,  1651.  Also  he  hath  given  him  by  ye  Townsmen  two  acres  of  up- 
land more  to  his  house  lot  and  adjoining  to  it. 

Nov.  9,  1651.  Also  he  hath  given  him  by  ye  Townsmen  twenty  acres  of 
upland  upon  ye  east  side  of  ye  greate  river  the  westerly  end  of  his 
lott  butting  upon  it  and  from  .  .  .  lying  betwixt  the  lotts  Andrew 
Lester  on  ye  south  and  Robert  Allen  on  ye  north. 

Dec.  2,  1651.  He  has  also  given  him  eight  acres  of  the  ground  from  the 
common  fields  lying  towards  the  south  side  of  Richard  Houghton's  lott. 

He  hath  also  given  him  twenty  acres  of  upland  upon  ye  Skull  plaine  lying  upon 
the  southward  of  Robert  Allen's  lott  bounded  toward  ye  east  with  a  run 
of  water  and  toward  the  west  by  a  brook  twenty  acres  more  or  less. 

He  hath  also  given  him  twenty  acres  of  upland  more  or  less  at  Nahantic  by 
ye  southward  and  butting  upon  Andrew  Lester's  lott  and  ye  northward 
end  upon  John  Stevens  lott  bounded  by  ye  river  on  ye  eastward  side 
and  with  ye  common  on  ye  westward  side  twenty  acres  more  or  less. 

1652,  February  14.  James  Avery  hath  given  him  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  of  upland  more  or  less  lying  at  Mistick  bounded  toward  the  east 
by  land  given  to  Mr.  Winthrop  twenty  poles  from  the  river  and  toward 
the  west  by  land  given  to  George  Harwood  towards  the  south  by  the 
foot  path  which  goes  from  Mistick  river  toward  the  sound  and  toward 
the  north  bounded  by  ye  common. 

1652,  September  28.  He  hath  also  given  him  a  grant  of  meadow  called 
little  owl  meadow  upon  ye  northward  of  ye  mill  brook. 

At  the  same  time  he  had  given  him  sixteen  acres  of  upland. 

1652,  December  15.  There  was  also  given  to  him  and  to  James 
Morgan,  Andrew  Lester,  Will  Header,  Will  Hough,  Robert  Allen, 
and  Robert  Deball,  part  of  a  swamp  at  "ye  westward  of  weaver 
Smith's  lot  in  ye  said  swamp  out  of  which  weaver  Smith  has  his 
land  out. "  In  1661,  he  received  twenty  acres  of  upland.  In  1653, 
he  sold  his  land  in  the  first  division  to  Mr.  Blinman.  About  this 
time  he  was  granted  a  farm  in  South  Groton.  He  however  contin- 
ued to  live  with  his  family  on  the  west  side  of  the  great  river. 


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48 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


Early  in  1653,  he  secured  another  farm,  one  of  the  Pocketannock 
grants,  further  up  the  river  and  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Led- 
yard.  About  1656,  he  built  and  occupied  the ' '  Hive  of  the  Averys, ' ' 
at  the  head  of  Poquonock  Plain,  in  the  present  town  of  Groton,  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  River  Thames, 

In  June,  1684,  the  old  Blinman  edifice  at  New  London,    "the 
unadorned  church  and  watch-tower  of  the  wilderness,  was  sold  to 


RUINS   OF   THE    HIVE   OF   THE    AVERYS,    JULY   20,    1894 

Captain  James  Avery  for  six  pounds,  with  the  condition  that  he 
should  remove  it  in  one  month's  time."  According  to  tradition, 
it  was  taken  down  and  its  materials  were  carried  by  river  and  sound 
and  added  to  the  house  he  had  already  built  at  the  head  of  Poquo- 
nock Cove.  In  spite  of  this  analytic  and  synthetic  process,  the 
house  seems  to  have  retained  something  of  its  sacred  character. 
A  century  later,  "the  same  timbers,  the  same  boards,  joyfully  re- 
sounded once  more  to  the  ancient  but  well  remembered  voices 
of  exhortation  and  praise."     (See  frontispiece. ) 

With  its  charming  situation,  the  old  time  combination  consti- 
tuted one  of  the  most   interesting  and  picturesque  residences  in 


Second  Generation — James  Avery 


49 


the  country.  This  historic  home  never  passed  into  alien  hands, 
being-  continously  occupied  by  James  Avery  or  some  of  his  de- 
scendants until  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  night  of  the  twen- 
tieth of  July,  1894. 

Soon  after  the  destruction  of  the   "Old   Hive,"  the  Avery 
Memorial  Association  was  incorporated.     It  received  the  old  home- 


IN     A\KKV     MEMORIAL     I'AKK 


stead  site  by  deed  of  gift  from  the  owner,  James  Denison  Avery, 
and  there  erected  a  granite  memorial  in  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Avery  Memorial  Park.  The  shaft  is  surmounted  by  a  bronze 
bust,  representing  the  builder  of  the  "Old  Hive."  The  bust  is  of 
heroic  size  and  represents  the  founder  as  a  typical  Puritan,  magis- 
trate, and  Indian  fighter.  It  was  designed  by  the  noted  sculptor, 
Bela  Lyon  Pratt,  an  Avery  descendant.  The  shaft  rises  from  the 
middle  of  the  outline  of  the  old  house,  which  outline  has  been  care- 
fully preserved;  the  old  fireplaces  have  been  rebuilt;  the  old 
hearthstones  are  in  their  places;  the  old  thresholds  are  marked  by 
the  stone  steps  which  the  feet  of  the  founder  of  the  race  first  trod. 


50  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

THE   AVERY    MEMORIAL 

BY   MARY   L.   BOLLES   BRANCH 

Here  once  an  ancient  homestead  stood, 
Gray  with  long  years,  of  fashion  old. 
From  stately  oak,  from  hallowed  wood. 
Were  hewn  its  beams,  and  strong  and  good 
Uprose  its  walls,  a  race  to  hold. 

Here  round  the  hearth  sat  sires  and  sons. 
Mothers  and  babes,  a  charming  throng  ; 
Eight  times  renewed  the  long  line  runs. 
The  youths  became  the  aged  ones. 
The  children  grew  to  manhood  strong. 

Honor  and  virtue  here  held  sway. 

And  courage  high  in  word  and  deed. 
Forth  went  the  statesman  on  his  way. 
Forth  marched  the  soldier  to  his  fray, 
A  sturdy  race  from  sturdy  seed. 

Gone  are  the  walls  that  stood  so  long, 

Mossed  roof  and  chimney,  all  are  gone, 
Where  sheltered  happy  lives  were  passed 
Now  blows  at  will  the  winter  blast, 
There  is  no  home,  the  spot  is  lone. 

Yet  stay,  what  wonders  love  hath  wrought! 

Here  is  the  hearthstone  of  a  race. 
The  threshold  that  their  feet  have  sought. 
Here  to  our  view  the  bounds  are  brought. 

And  ivies  the  old  chimneys  grace. 

Oh!  rooms  unseen  by  mortal  eyes. 

Wherein  may  move  the  friendly  guest, 
Oh!  walls  invisible  that  rise 
With  household  gods  in  unknown  guise. 
What  is  there  to  meet  our  quest  ? 

Behold,  the  vanished  home  uprears 
This  granite  shaft  whereon  today 
Wrought  in  enduring  bronze  appears 
One  who  shall  greet  the  coming  years. 
Chief  of  his  race,  who  seems  to  say: 

Here  once  an  ancient  homestead  stood, 
Gray  with  long  years,  «f  fashion  old. 
From  stately  oak,  from  hallowed  wood 
Were  hewn  its  beams,  and  strong  and  good 
Uprose  its  walls,  a  race  to  hold. 


Second    Generation — James    Avery        51 


THE   BUST  THAT  SURMOUNTS  THK  SHAFT   IN  AVERY   MEMORIAL   PARK 


52  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

This  monument  was  dedicated  July  20,  1900.  Six  hundred 
members  of  the  clan  gathered  to  do  honor  to  the  founder  of  the 
tribe,  who  had  been  dead  two  hundred  years.  Dr.  Elroy  M. 
Avery,  the  president  of  the  association,  presided;  Helen  Morgan 
Avery  unveiled  the  bust;  Frank  Montgomery  Avery  delivered  the 
oration,  opening  with  these  impressive  words: 

"We  have  assembled  here  today  to  join  in  the  dedication  of  a  memorial; 
not  of  a  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of  any  one  man;  not  of  a 
shaft  or  tablet  to  commemorate  the  happening  of  a  great  historical 
event  or  the  accomplishment  of  some  illustrious  personal  achievement; 
but  of  a  memorial  designed  to  designate  the  spot  where  the  roots  of  a 
family  tree  struck  deep  and  strong  enough  to  take  permanent  hold  in 
the  soil  of  New  England,  and  whence  its  branches  have  spread  out  far 
and  wide  and  lusty  with  the  strength  of  the  parent  stock.  It  is  to 
honor  the  place  of  our  forefathers'  refuge  and  abode,  of  their 
struggles  and  triumphs,  their  birthplace  and  their  death  place  through 
the  early  generations,  that  this  shaft  has  been  erected  on  the  site  of 
the  first  of  their  homesteads,  and  that  we  are  here  today." 

The  oration  was  given  in  full  in  the  report  of  the  dedicatory 
exercises  printed  in  Avery  Notes  and  Queries,  No.  11  (August, 
1900). 

From  the  "Old  Book  of  Grants"  at  Pequot,  we  learn  that 
James  Avery  bought  and  sold  many  parcels  of  land.  Sales  were 
recorded  in  1655;  July  14,  1656;  November  30,  1656;  May  and  De- 
cember, 1657,  to  Nehemiah  Smith;  September  20,  1660,  of  part  of 
swamp  to  Will  Hough;  May  10  and  November  1,  1664;  December 
29,  1665;  and  many  of  later  dates.  December  26,  1667,  Joane 
Avery  signed  a  deed  with  her  husband,  James  Avery,  giving  to 
their  son,  James",  fifty  acres  that  James'  Avery  had  bought  of 
Amos  Richardson.  James'  Avery  also  deeded  100  acres  of  land  to 
his  son  James',  March  28,  1679;  the  same  day  he  deeded  to  the 
same  son  another  hundred  acres  of  land  that  had  been  given  to 
him  by  the  general  court.  If  James"  Avery  wished  to  sell  this 
land  he  must  first  offer  it  to  his  brothers.  The  same  day,  March 
28,  1679,  James'  Avery  sold  to  Thomas  Wheeler  land  east  of  the 
great  river  which  land  he  bought  of  Abel  Moore.  December  22, 
1671,  he  sold  to  Thomas  Parks,  two  hundred  acres  of  land  that 
had  been  given  to  him  by  the  town  of  New  London  on  account  of 
money  he  had  paid  to  Uncas.  It  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mohe- 
gan  River,  near  the  head  of  the  pond  joining  to  Goodman  Minor's. 
(Preston  Deeds,  1:77). 


Second  Generation— James  Avery  53 

In  the  following  deed  he  disposed  of  his  father's  estate: 

"To  all  Christian  people  to  whom  these  Instruments  shall  come  Know  ye 
that  I  James  Avery  senior  of  New  London  in  the  Colony  of  Connecti- 
cut, have  for  in  consideration  of  that  natural  and  good  affection  that  I 
bear  unto  my  four  sons  viz  James  Avery  junior,  Thomas  Avery,  John 
Avery  &  Samuel  Avery,  ffully,  ffreely,  and  ffirmly  Give,  Grant,  Alli- 
nate  Enfeoffe  and  pass  over  unto  my  four  sons  aforesaid  to  be  equal 
proportions  in  my  lands  house  and  housings  orchards  and  ...  in  the 
Town  of  New  London  with  all  the  land  upon  the  neck  on  the  West  side 
of  the  Greate  River  which  was  my  father's  deceased  also  all  the  land 
upon  the  General  neck  which  I  bought  of  Mr.  Thomas  Park  sen.  as  by 
record  may  or  doth  appear  to  have  and  to  hold  the  aforesaid  land  house 
&  housings  orchard  and  ...  in  ye  Towne  of  New  London  which  was 
my  said  fathers  upon  the  General  neck  also  all  the  land  in  the  General 
neck  which  I  bought  of  Mr.  Thomas  Park  senior  as  aforesaid  unto  my 
four  sons  James,  Thomas,  John  &  Samuel,  their  heirs,  executors,  admin- 
istrators, assigns  forever,  and  I  do  hereby  promise  and  engage  that  my 
four  sons  afresaid  shall  quietly  and  peaceably  enjoy  and  possess  im- 
prove sell  and  dispose  the  said  land  and  appurtenances  that  thereunto 
belong  without  hindrance,  molestatation  from  me  or  any  other  person 
from  or  under  me  or  by  my  means  ffor  confirmation  thereof  I  have  set 
my  hand  &  seale  this  first  day  of  April  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 

thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty-five. 

James  Avery 
In  the  presence  of 
Edward  Okes 
Mary  Braday 

Recorded  April  1,  1685" 


At  Pequot,  Captain  Avery  seems  to  have  taken  at  once  an 
active  part  in  private  business  and  public  affairs.  For  many  years 
his  name  was  signed  to  deeds  and  grants  of  land,  as  commissioner 
for  New  London.  On  the  twelfth  of  October,  1667,  he  petitioned 
the  general  court  as  follows: 

"The  request  of  James  Avery  of  New  London  to  this  Honord  Assembly  is, 
that  whereas  the  Country  have  putt  me  upon  some  publique  imploy- 
ment,  and  haue  done  what  seruice  I  am  capeable  of,  that  this  As- 
sembly would  please  to  grant  me,  as  they  have  done  to  divers  others,  a 
parcell  of  land  wch  belongs  to  the  Country,  soe  much  as  they  shall 
think  meet,  where  it  may  be  found;  wch  I  shall  thankfully  accept; 
and  ever  pray  for  yr  prosperity. ' ' 

In  May  of  the  following  year,  the  general  court  made  the 
following  record: 


54  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

"Lnt  James  Auery  hath  hkewise  by  this  Court  granted  to  him  a  Hundred 
Acres  of  land  for  a  farme,  in  which  there  may  not  be  aboue  twenty 
acres  of  meadow." 

This  grant  was  laid  out  October  12,  1669,  adjoining  the  land  of 
Thomas  Stanton,  on  Pachaug  River.  {Col.  Rec.  Lands,  1:278.) 
A  like  reward  for  public  service  was  made  by  the  colony  in  1675. 

He  soon  became  active  in  military  affairs  and  is  generally 
spoken  of  by  the  title  of  ensign,  lieutenant,  or  captain.  The 
region  in  which  he  lived  was  formerly  the  chief  seat  of  the  formid- 
able Pequot  tribe  that,  a  few  years  before,  had  been  almost 
exterminated  by  the  English.  The  Pequot  Fort,  taken  in  1637  by 
Captain  John  Mason  in  command  of  the  Connecticut  troops  and 
their  Mohegan  and  Narragansett  allies,  was  on  the  Mystic  River, 
on  the  eastern  line  of  Groton.  After  the  Pequot  War,  a  few  sur- 
vivors of  that  once  dreaded  tribe  still  lived  in  the  haunts  of  their 
fathers,  with  the  Narragansetts  on  the  east  and  the  Mohegans 
under  their  sachem,  Uncas,  near  by  on  the  west.  In  1657,  the 
Narragansetts  made  a  wild  foray  and  Uncas  fled  from  the  blood 
and  fire  that  marked  their  course.  He  took  refuge  in  a  fort  and 
was  besieged  by  his  unrelenting  foes.  But,  just  in  time,  "Lieu- 
tenant James  Avery,  Mr.  Brewster,  Richard  Haughton,  Samuel 
Lothrop,  and  others  well  armed,  succeeded  in  throwing  them- 
selves into  the  fort;  and  the  Narragansetts,  fearing  to  engage  in 
a  conflict  with  the  English,  broke  up  the  siege  and  returned 
home."  The  legislature  approved  the  measures  that  had  been 
taken  for  the  protection  of  the  faithful  ally  of  the  English. 

Great  Britain  proclaimed  war  with  the  States  General  (Hol- 
land) in  February,  1665,  and,  in  June,  America  received  tidings 
that  the  Dutch  admiral,  De  Ruyter,  had  orders  to  visit  New  York 
with  a  large  force.  The  northern  colonies  were  alarmed  at  the 
approach  of  so  formidable  an  enemy  and  began  preparations  for 
defense.  The  following  item  appears  in  the  record  of  a  session 
of  the  Connecticut  general  court,  held  at  Hartford,  July  6,  1665: 

"This  Court  haueing  by  his  Matie's  order  bene  informed  that  DeRuiter  is 
likely  to  assult  his  Matie's  Colonies  in  these  parts  of  the  world  and  that 
it  is  his  royall  pleasure  that  his  subjects  here  should  put  themselves  in 
a  posture  of  defence  agaynst  the  comon  adversary,  In  pursuance 
thereof,  doe  order  that  each  plantatn  in  this  Colony  should  considr  of 
some  way  for  the  discouery  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy:  And  that 
vpon  the  discovery  of  the  enemy  they  presently  giue  notice  thereof  to 
ye  Comittee  appointed  by  the  Court,  who  are  to  act  therein  according 
to  the  power  comitted  to  them  by  this  Assembly." 


Second    Generation — James   Avery         55 

The  committee  in  charge  from  Southerton  to  Guilford  was 
"Maior  Mason,  Ens:  Avery,  Thomas  Minor,  Robt  Chapman,  or 
any  three  of  them, ' ' 

"Wch  said  Comittees  being  mett  in  their  respectiue  limits  are  hereby  im- 
powred  to  order  and  appoint  how  and  in  what  way  the  order  estab- 
lished for  aid  and  relief e  in  such  cases  may  be  effectually  attended." 

In  this  same  year  (1665),  the  general  court  confirmed  Ensign 
James  Avery  as  "lieutenant  to  ye  train  band  at  New  London." 

In  1667,  the  Pequot  remnant  was  transferred  to  a  reservation, 
although  as  the  historian  informs  us,  ' '  Mr.  Winthrop,  Capt.  Deni- 
son,  Captain  James  Avery  and  some  other  men  of  influence,  dis- 
sented from  these  views  and  labored  for  the  accommodation  of 
thePequots. "  The  fair  disposition  and  judicial  temperament  of 
James  Avery  are  here  clearly  shown — qualities  that  doubtless 
gave  him  much  of  the  great  influence  that  we  know  he  possessed 
with  the  friendly  Indians  of  that  region.  For  several  years, 
before  and  after  this,  the  commissioners  of  the  United  Colonies  of 
New  England  referred  almost  everything  relating  to  the  Pequots 
to  Messrs.  Denison,  Stanton,  and  Avery  for  adjustment,  and  the 
Connecticut  general-court  records  contain  many  references,  of 
which  the  following  are  examples: 

April  20,  1665.  "This  court  doth  appoynt  Ensigne  James  Auery  ensigne 
Thomas  Tracy  and  John  Gallop,  Thomas  Minor  or  any  three  of  them  to 
lay  out  a  convenient  parcell  of  land  for  Robin  and  his  company  to  plant 
upon."     {Conn.  Pub.  Rec,  vol.  1,  p.  HO.) 

May  11,  1666.  "  Lt.  Avery  and  James  Morgan  are  appointed  and  required 
by  this  court  to  lay  out  the  land  for  Coassatuck  Indians  according  to  ye 
determination  of  ye  comittee;  and  likewise  to  lay  out  the  northern 
bounds  of  Stonington,  and  also  ye  land  granted  to  Thomas  Minor  and 
John  Gallop  respectiuely. "     {Conn.  Pub.  Rec,  vol.  2,  p.  36.) 

"Robin  Cussinamo  is  appointed  Goumr  ouer  the  Pequots  on  this  side  Mis- 
tick  Riuer,  and  Cushaunakim  and  Yoiomatimo  are  appointed  as  Assist- 
ants to  ye  said  Cusinemo  in  gouerneing  the  said  Indians.  And  Lt.  James 
Avery,  Gary  Latham  and  John  Gallop  are  desired  to  assist  by  advice 
and  counsell  to  these  Goumrs  as  occasion  or  necessity  may  present." 
{Conn.  Pub.  Rec,  vol.  2,  p.  39.) 

In  1668,  James  Avery  and  Cary  Latham  were  chosen  by  the 
town  to  settle  the  boundary  line  with  the  sachem,  Uncas.  The 
£15  that  secured  the  desired  formal  deed  was  paid  by  James 
Avery  and  two  others  in  consideration  of  which  each  received  200 
acres  of  land  from  the  town.     Captain  Avery's  services  seem  to 


56  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

have  been  often  called  for  by  the  town  and  by  individuals  in  the 
settling  of  such  controversies.  In  1678,  the  commissioners  granted 
Captain  Avery  five  pounds  "for  his  good  service  in  assisting  in 
the  government  of  the  Pequots  for  sundry  years."  (See  Plymouth 
Colony  Records,  Vol.  10. ) 

"May  13,  1678.     This    Court  doth    nominate    and   appoynt    Capt.    James 

Avery,  Capt.  George  Denison  and  Livetenant to  be  a  committee  to 

consider  where  may  be  a  suitable  tract  of  land  for  Mamahowe  and  the 
Pequits  wth  him  to  plant  in,  and  to  contrive  that  the  same  may  be  as 
convenient  as  may  be,  and  near  the  sea  if  it  be  to  be  procured  on  rea- 
sonable tearmes. " 

"Oct.  16,  1679.  This  Court  being  informed  that  much  damage  hath  been 
done  to  the  Mohegan  Indians  in  theire  corne  this  yeare  planted  in  their 
field  between  Norwich  and  New  London  by  horses  and  cattell,  doe 
order  that  fowerscore  bushells  of  Indian  Corn  be  payd  them  at  the 
discression  of  Mr.  James  Fitch  Junr  for  Norwich  and  Captn  Avery  and 
Mr.  Charles    Hill  for  New  London."     {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  vol.  3,  p.  iS.) 

"  May  13,  1680.  "  As  to  Cassacinamon's  complaynt  of  his  people  remove- 
ing  from  him  into  some  small  parties,  whereby  they  are  not  so  capable 
to  defend  themselves.  This  Court  orders  Captn  Avery  and  Lnt  Mason 
and  Mr.  Minor  or  any  two  of  them,  to  acquaint  the  sayd  Pequot 
Indians  under  Robert's  government,  to  return  to  his  town  as  soon  as 
planting  and  weeding  is  over,  and  continue  to  be  under  Robert's  gov- 
ernment as  formerly."     (Conn.  Col.  Rec,  3 :55.) 

May  10,  1683.  "  This  Court  doth  appoynt  Captn  James  Fitch,  Captn  James 
Avery  and  Lnt  Tho.  Leffingwell  to  be  a  committee  in  behalfe  of  this 
Court  to  move  the  people  of  Stoneington  to  lay  out  to  the  Pequots  under 
Mawmahoe's  government  a  suitable  tract  of  land  that  may  be  sufficient 
for  them  to  plant  upon;  and  if  they  neglect  to  doe  it,  the  sayd  com- 
mittee are  hereby  ordered  to  use  utmost  endeavoures  to  suit  them  with 
a  sufficient  tract  of  land,  .  .  .  the  law  requireing  every  towne  to  pro- 
vide for  their  own  Indians."     {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  3 :  117.) 

The  ' '  utmost  endeavoures ' '  of  this  committee  were  crowned 
with  success,  and  the  miserable  remnant  of  the  Pequots  and  east- 
ern Nianticks,  under  Momoho's  government,  at  last  found  a  rest- 
ing place: 

October  11,  1683.  "Capt.  Fitch,  Captn  James  Avery  and  Lnt  Tho.  Lef- 
fingwell being  appoynted  to  procure  some  lands  for  Mamohoe  and  his 
company,  by  this  Court,  May  last,  returned  a  writeing  or  deed  of  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  which  they  bought  of  Isaak  Wheeler 
for  the  use  of  Mamohoe  and  his  company  .  .  .  and  this  Court  doth 
aprove  of  the  sayd  deed,  and  grant  that  the  land  shall  be  for  the  use  of 
Mamohoe  and  his  company  during  the  Courts  pleasure."  {Toivns  & 
Lands,  1:210.) 


Second    Generation— James    Avery         57 

The  land  was  conveyed  to  ' '  Capt.  James  Avery  and  Lieut.  Thomas 
Leffingwell,  a  committee  on  behalf  of  the  general  court,  it  being 
for  the  use  of  Momoho  and  the  Indians  under  him,"  May  24,  1683. 

May  14,  1685.  "This  Court  appoynt  Lnt.  Tho.  Leffingwell  and  Capt. 
James  Avery  and  Nehemiah  Palmer  they  or  any  two  of  them  to  lay  out 
and  bownd  the  sundry  parcells  of  land  given  to  the  Pequots,  in  New 
London  or  Stoneington  bownds  or  lands  adjacent;"    {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  3.) 

There  were  rumors  of  an  Indian  plot  in  1669  of  which  Ninigret, 
sachem  of  the  eastern  Nianticks,  was  supposed  to  be  the  head. 
Capt.  Wait  Winthrop,  Lieut.  James  Avery  and  others  were  com- 
missioned to  inquire  into  the  reality  of  the  suspected  plot  and  to 
summon  Ninigret  before  them  for  examination.  The  messengers 
that  they  sent  to  Ninigret  (who  lived  east  of  the  Pawcatuck  river) 
returned  with  answer  inviting  them  to  come  to  him.  The  com- 
missioners accordingly  made  ready  to  "goe  to  him,"  but  as  they 
were  setting  out,  July  19,  1669,  they  received  word  from  Rhode 
Island  that  that  colony  protested  "against  such  eleagall  and 
unlawfull  proseedings, "  and  if  there  was  anything  against  Nini- 
gret ' '  he  shall  be  forth  coming  to  answer  before  the  government 
under  which  his  Majesty  haue  put  him."  Captain  Winthrop  and 
his  party,  thirteen  in  number,  disregarding  this  protest,  crossed 
the  river  and  ' '  though  a  company  of  f ellowes  stood  in  the  com- 
mon roade,"  some  with  clubs,  they  were  not  forcibly  opposed  and 
rode  their  way  and  obtained  a  conference  with  Ninigret.  Their 
report  is  missing,  but  it  was  probably  satisfactory  as  no  further 
action  was  taken  at  that  time. 

In  June,  1672,  the  general  court  ordered  that  Captain  John 
Winthrop  should  be  the  ' '  chief e  millitary  officer ' '  for  the  county 
of  New^  London,  and  Lieutenant  James  Avery  his  second.  In 
1673,  danger  was  again  apprehended  from  the  Dutch,  and  each 
county  was  ordered  to  prepare  for  defense.  New  London  County 
was  to  add  a  hundred  "dragoones"  to  her  trainbands,  and  for 
' '  such  forces  as  shall  be  called  out  of  that  county,  James  Avery 
[was]  appoynted  Captain." 

"It  was  ordered  that  each  dragoone  be  provided  with  a  good  sword  and 
belt,  and  serviceable  muskitt  or  kirbine,  with  a  shott  powch  and  powder 
and  bullitts,  viz  :  one  pownd  of  powder  made  into  cartridges  fitt  for  his 
gunn,  and  three  pownd  of  bullitts  fitt  for  their  gunns,  or  pistol  bulletts, 
and  a  hoi-se  to  expedite  their  march."  {Conn.  Colonial  Records, 
2:207,  208). 


58  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

New  England's  long  continued  freedom  from  the  horrors  of 
Indian  war  was  abruptly  ended  in  1675.  The  name  of  King  Philip 
became  a  terror  to  the  English  settlers  from  Connecticut  to  Casco 
Bay.  In  the  summer  months,  Massachusetts  suffered  untold 
agony  and  Connecticut  became  much  alarmed.  In  answer  to 
letters  from  Mr.  Fitch  of  Norwich,  "the  Councill  writt  to  Mr. 
Fitch,  L'nt  Mason  and  L'nt  Auery,  [Aug.  5,  1675]  to  encourage 
the  Moheagans  to  goe  forthwith  out  after  the  Indians  of  Phillip's 
company;"  and  that  Robin  Cassacinamon  and  Mawmohoe  repair 
to  those  English  that  are  in  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians  and  assist 
them  what  they  can.  In  October,  the  general  court  at  Hartford 
practically  put  Connecticut  under  martial  law. 

"It  is  therefore  hereby  ordered,  that  each  county  doe  speedly  rayse  out  of 
their  several!  townes  in  their  respective  countyes,  sixty  souldiers,  well 
fitted  with  hors  armes  and  ammunition,  as  dragoones,  who  shall  be  im- 
bodyed  for  motion  in  their  severall  respectiue  countyes  for  the  defence 
of  the  Colony  against  any  sudden  assault  of  the  enemie.  And  because 
of  the  difficulty  and  danger  of  moueing  ouer  the  riuer  at  Saybrooke, 
this  Court  orders  Saybrooke  and  Kenilworth  to  fall  in  with  New 
Haven,  as  part  thereof  in  this  undertakeing.  The  proportioning  of 
each  plantation  and  all  other  things  necessary  for  the  well  ordering  of 
the  severall  companyes  is  left  to  the  ciuill  authority  in  each  county  to 
order  as  they  shall  judg  most  conduceable  to  the  end  afoarsayd ;  and 
that  they  be  ready  for  the  reliefe  of  each  other  upon  notice  as  any 
exigence  may  call  for.  And  because  there  are  the  Moheags  and 
Pequots  dwelling  amongst  those  fower  townes  of  New  London  County, 
it  is  ordered  that  Captain  James  Auery  take  command  of  forty  Eng- 
lish from  the  three  townes  of  New  London,  Stoneington  and  Lyme,  to 
be  raysed  together  with  such  of  the  Pequots  as  he  likes,  and  Captain 
John  Mason  shall  take  twenty  English  from  Norwich  with  the  Mo- 
heags ;  each  party  to  quarter  and  lye  where  they  may  be  of  best  vse 
for  the  end  afoarsd,  and  to  joyne  together  as  there  may  be  any  occas- 
ion or  exigence,  vpon  notice  from  Major  John  Winthrop ;  they  to 
appoynt  such  inferior  officers  as  they  shall  thinke  most  meet. "  {Conn. 
Col.  Rec,  2:267.) 

November  25,  1675.  Captain  Avery  was  appointed  by  the  council 
fifth  in  command  of  the  united  army  which  is  to  go  against  the 
Indians.     {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  2:386.) 

The  commissioners  of  the  United  Colonies  of  New  England 
put  a  force  of  a  thousand  men  in  the  field  under  the  command  of 
Governor  Josiah  Winslow  of  Plymouth.  In  the  early  winter,  he 
was  in  the  hostile  country  where  a  great  battle  was  fought  on 


Second    Generation— James    Avery        59 

Sunday,  December  19,  1675.  The  Narragansett  fort  was  in  what 
is  South  Kingston,  Rhode  Island.  It  included  five  or  six  acres  of 
dry  land,  was  surrounded  by  a  swamp,  and  was  defended  by  pali- 
sades and  felled  trees.  The  only  entrance  was  by  a  bridge  made 
by  a  felled  tree  and  commanded  by  a  block  house.  Within,  were 
not  fewer  than  3,500  warriors.  The  fight  was  desperate,  for,  on 
either  side,  it  was  a  clear  case  of  conquer  or  die.  The  final  vic- 
tory was  with  the  English.  It  is  said  that  700  Indians  were  killed 
that  day  and  that  300  of  their  wounded  died.  The  power  of  the 
Narragansett  tribe  was  broken.  Captain  John  Gallup,  who  com- 
manded the  Mohegans,  was  slain.  The  Pequot  allies  were  under 
the  command  of  James  Avery. 

The  Narragansett  fight  enraged  the  Indians  and  made  them 
desperate.  The  English  plantations  were  in  greater  danger  than 
before.  In  the  following  February  (1675-6),  at  a  meeting  of  the 
council  of  Connecticut,  "there  was  order  to  Capt.  Avery,  Capt. 
Denison  and  Ln't  Minor  to  rayse  some  forces  to  surpriz  or  destroy 
the  enemie;  as  more  at  large  by  the  letter  on  file  may  appeare. " 
From  said  letter,  we  clip  the  following  sentence: 

' '  The  Council  considering  the  difficulty  of  collecting  any  considerable  body 
of  the  enlisted  souldiers  from  the  several  townes,  for  an  immediate 
march  against  the  enemy,  order  that  Captains  Avery  and  Denison,  and 
Lieut.  Minor,  should  forthwith  gather  as  many  men  as  possible,  from 
the  three  nearest  towns  (New  London,  Norwich  and  Stonington),  and, 
taking  with  them  the  Mohegan  and  Pequot  Indians,  march  against  the 
enemy. ' ' 

Then  began  that ' '  series  of  forays  into  the  Indian  territory,  which, 
issuing  at  short  intervals  from  New  London  county,  and  led  by 
those  Indian  fighters,  Denison  and  Avery,  contributed  in  no  small 
degree  to  the  favorable  result." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Council  of  Connecticut,  March  16,  1675-6, 
it  was  written  in  the  record  that: 

"  For  the  encouragement  of  such  as  shall  goe  forth  volunteers  against  our 
Indian  enemies  in  the  Narrogancett  Countrey  and  to  prevent  their 
gathering  and  setleing  there,  we  have  thought  meet  to  declare,  that 
whosoueuer  shall  imploy  themselves  in  this  seruice,  whether  Indians  or 
English,  and  goe  forth  under  the  command  of  Capt.  George  Denison 
or  Capt.  James  Avery  or  Lnt.  Thomas  Minor  or  Ens.  Tho.  Leffingwell, 
shall  haue  all  such  plunder  as  they  shall  seize  both  of  persons  and  corn 
or  other  estate  to  be  disposed  by  them  in  way  of  sale,  so  as  they  may 
best  advantage  themseules,  provided  Authority  haue  had  the  first  ten- 


60  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

der  of  their  dispose  of  Captiues,  alloweing  them  the  market  prices; 
to  be  diuied  amongst  them,  to  the  priuate  souldiers,  each  man  alike, 
and  to  the  commanders  so  much  a  better  part  according  as  there  is  dif- 
ference in  their  wages;  and  all  wounded  men  to  be  healed  at  the 
Country's  charge."     {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  2:  il8). 

Two  letters  from  Major  Palmes,  dated  March  30,  were  re- 
ceived by  the  council  before  their  meeting  of  April  4th.  The  first, 
written  from  Norwich,  acknowledges  the  receipt  of  a  letter  from 
the  council,  of  March  27,  with  their  reasons  for  detaining  Major 
Treat  and  his  forces,  "so  much  to  the  dissatisfaction  &  expecta- 
tion of  our  soldiery."  He  (Major  Palmes)  stated  that  he  could 
not  possibly  go  forth  in  the  proposed  expedition,  but  had  listed  all 
the  volunteers  under  Capt,  Denison  and  Lieut.  Leffingwell  and  the 
pressed  soldiers  under  Capt.  Avery  and  Lieut.  Minor  to  march 
' '  towards  Egunck  and  so  to  Coessett. ' '  There  were  thirty-seven 
pressed  men  and  forty-two  volunteers,  with  about  one  hundred 
Pequots  and  Mohegans,  with  some  of  Ninigret's  daughter's  men. 
The  writer  was  doubtful  of  the  ' '  well  accord ' '  of  the  English,  in 
their  march  and  fight,  observing  many  ' '  inconveniences  with  this 
mixture  of  pressed  men  and  volunteers."  Major  Palmes  desired 
' '  that  for  future  the  manadgmt  bee  left  to  whome  you  shall  see 
cause  to  intrust,  and  not  every  man  to  be  his  own  carver." 
{Conn.  Col  Rec,  2:^27.) 

Ten  days  before  this  (March  20),  Capt.  Denison  and  Capt. 
Avery,  with  their  volunteers  and  pressed  men  and  Indians,  had 
marched  from  Norwich.  Before  their  return  on  April  5th,  they 
had  killed  or  captured  forty-four  Indians.  Among  the  captives 
was  the  chief  surviving  sachem  of  the  Narragansetts,  Canonchet, 
the  son  of  Miantonomo— " one  of  the  great  exploits  of  the  war." 

On  April  7,  1676,  the  council,  having  heard  from  the  front, 
expressed  themselves  as  follows: 

"Vpon  accot  of  Cap.  Denison  and  Lnt  Minor  of  their  expedition  against 
the  Indian  enemies  neer  those  parts,  which  accot  was  to  good  sattis- 
faction,  but  they  findeing  the  encouragment  allowed  not  sufficient, 
The  Council  see  meet  to  declare  and  order  that  the  sayd  Capt.  Denison 
and  Capt.  Auery,  wth  their  Lieutenants  and  officers,  may  proceed  on 
in  the  like  service,  with  such  companies  of  Volunteers  as  they  can  pre- 
vayle  withall  to  be  listed  under  them,  and  shall  for  their  encourage- 
ment be  allowed  just  pay  for  their  necessary  provission  and  wages  for 
their  time  while  they  are  out  on  service  .  .  .  and  hire  for  the 
officer's  horses  (with  allowance  for  a  chirurgion,  if  he  goeth  forth  with 


Second    Generation — James   Avery        61 

them)  on  the  country's  accot,  and  their  wounded  men  to  be  taken  care 
of,  as  other  prest  men;  they  to  be  suited  wth  ammunition  on  the 
Country's  acet  .  .  .  The  sayd  Captaines  are  to  order  the  distribu- 
tion of  what  shall  be  taken,  proportionably  amongst  the  English,  and 
according  to  agreement  amongst  the  Indians:  and  all  are  to  carry 
themselves  orderly  and  in  the  fear  of  God."     (Conn.  Col.  Rec,  2:^29.) 

On  the  same  day  (April  7, 1676) ,  the  Council  wrote  to  the  Hon. 
Major  Palmes: 

"We  have  seen  cause  to  encourage  Capt.  Denison  &  Capt.  Avery  to  rays 
volunteers  &  prosecute  the  enemie  with  all  vigor." 

Capt.  Denison  and  Capt.  Avery  evidently  prosecuted  ''the  enemie 
with  all  vigor"  for,  in  July,  they  followed  the  Indians  into  a 
swamp  in  the  Narragansett  country  and  killed  or  took  prisoners 
eighty  and,  on  the  march  back,  sixty  more  fell  into  their  hands. 
Hutchinson,  in  his  History  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  says  "the  brave 
action  of  the  Connecticut  volunteers  have  not  been  enough  ap- 
plauded" and  adds  that  this  successful  hunting  of  the  Indians 
"sunk  and  broke  their  spirits,  and  seems  to  have  determined  the 
fate  of  English  and  Indians,  which  until  then  was  doubtful  and 
uncertain." 

Hubbard,  the  early  historian  of  the  Indian  wars,  writes  thus: 

"The  inhabitants  of  New  London,  Norwich  and  Stonington,  apprehensive 
of  their  danger,  by  reason  of  the  near  bordering  of  the  enemy,  and 
upon  other  prudent  considerations,  voluntarily  listed  themselves  under 
some  able  gentlemen  and  resolute  soldiers  among  themselves.  Major 
Palmes,  Capt.  George  Denison,  Capt.  Avery,  with  whom  or  under 
whom,  within  the  compass  of  1676,  they  made  ten  or  more  several 
expeditions,  in  all  of  which  at  those  several  times,  they  killed  and  took 
two  hundred  and  thirty-nine  of  the  enemy  by  the  help  and  assistance 
of  the  Pequots,  Mohegans,  and  a  few  friendly  Narragansetts;  besides 
thirty  taken  in  their  long  march  homewards,  after  the  fort  fight,  Decem- 
ber 19,  '75;  and  besides  sixteen  captivated  in  the  second  expedition,  not 
reckoned  within  the  compass  of  the  said  number;  together  with  fifty 
guns  and  spoiling  the  enemy  of  an  hundred  bushels  of  corn." 

The  question  of  the.  spoils  of  war  came  up  often  for  discussion. 
In  August,  1675: 

"The  Councill  agreed  and  ordered  that  the  rigt  and  division  of  the  captives 
be  left  to  the  decission  and  determination  of  Capt.  John  Mason,  Capt. 
James  Avery  and  Mr.  Daniel  Witherell,  whoe  are  desired  and  empow- 
ered to  disspose  the  said  captiues,  whither  in  hands  of  the  Pequots, 
Moheags  or  Naragancetts,  to  such  persons  to  whome  of  right  they  doe 
belong,  according  to  the  severall  agreements  as  the  claymers  shall 
make  their  demands  by." 


62  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

In  January,  1675-6,  it  was  ordered  that: 

"  Whateuer  captiues  or  plunder  shall  be  taken  is  to  be  tryed  and  condemned 
by  a  Court  Marshall,  that  so  no  wrong  may  be  done.  The  Court  Mar- 
shall for  New  London  County  are  appoynted  to  be  Major  Ed:  Palmes, 
Capt  James  Auery,  Lnt.  Samuel  Mason  and  Lnt.  Tho:  Minor,  or  any 
three  of  them." 

March  20,  of  the  same  year,  the  council  ordered  that: 

"Such  things  to  be  taken  up  and  done  to  the  satisfaction  of  sayde  mr. 
Fitch,  and  Capt.  Auery,  as  respecting  wampum  and  other  goods  that 
was  taken  as  plundei',  yet  is  said  to  belong  to  innocent  persons  not 
enemies." 

September  28,  1669,  a  Hst  of  the  names  of  the  freemen  of 
New  London  was  made  by  order  of  the  general  court  by  James 
Auerye  and  Daniell  Witherell,  townsmen,  and  Alexander  Piggon, 
constable.     On  this  list  the  name  of  James  Auerye  stands  first. 

Originally,  the  Connecticut  general  court  not  only  enacted  the 
laws  of  the  colony,  but  also  administered  them,  criminally  as  well 
as  civilly.  As  it  was  difficult  to  try  all  these  cases  at  Hartford, 
the  general  court,  May  17,  1660, 

"doe  order  for  ye  present  that  there  shall  be  an  assistant  and  3  Comrs  in 
that  Towne  [New  London]  who  shall  have  ful  power  to  issue  small 
causes,  and  ye  punishing  smal  crimes  and  offences  according  to  law, 
provided  the  cases  of  debts  and  fines  doe  not  amount  to  the  sum  of 
£2.  Is." 

James  Avery  soon  became  one  of  the  commissioners  in  this  court 
as  the  following  appointment  shows: 

"Oct.  8,  1663.  This  Court  doth  desire  and  appoynt  the  Major  and  John 
Allyn  and  Mr.  Bruen  to  keep  a  Court  at  New  London  for  the  issuing  of 
such  matters  as  shall  be  presented  for  their  consideration;  they  to 
appoint  the  time." 

"This  court  appoints  Ens.  James  Avery  a  Commissioner  to  joyne  with  Mr. 
Bruen  at  New  London." 

May  12,  1664,  James  Avery  was  again  appointed  commissioner 
and.  May  11,  1665,  he  seems  to  have  been  especially  honored.  On 
that  date,  he  was  deputy  to  the  general  court,  was  made  commis- 
sioner for  New  London,  and  received  his  commission  as  lieutenant 
of  the  train  band: 

"James  Avery  is  confirmed  Lieutenant  to  ye  Train  Band  at  N.  London 
and  Gabirell  Harris  Ensigne  in  ye  said  Train  Band." 


i 


t 
t 


Second    Generation — James    Avery        63 

I 

His  appointment  as  commissioner  reads  as  follows: 

"Mr.  Thomas  Stanton,  Thomas  Miner,  Ens:  Avery,  Mr.  Bruen,  Mr.  Chap- 
man, are  chosen  Comrs  for  and  within  their  respective  towns  where 
they  inhabit;  any  three  of  them  wth  ye  Dep:  Gournr  are  hereby  em- 
powered to  keep  court  at  N.  London  twice  this  present  year,  that  is  to 
say  on  ye  third  Wednesday  of  June  and  on  ye  third  Wednesday  in 
November." 

The  following  is  a  sample  of  the  cases  which  came  before  this 
court: 

"June  30,  1664.  Mrs.  Houghton  summons  Mrs.  Skillinger  before  the  Com- 
missioners to  answer  for  abusing  her  daughter  in  the  meeting  house; 
we  not  finding  legal  proofs  hereof,  judge  it  meet  that  Mrs.  Houghton 
tutor  her  daughter  better  and  not  occasion  disturbance  by  any  unmeet 
carriage  to  her  betters  hereafter,  and  this  being  the  first  time,  we 
enforce  no  further. ' ' 

Another  case  was  against  "a  person  belonging  to  Seabrook  for 
uttering  contumelious  speeches  against  his  Majesty  when  in  liquor; 
to  be  whipt  immediately  at  New"  London  and  a  quarter  of  a  year 
hence  at  Seabrook;  Mr.  Chapman  to  see  it  done." 

May  10,  1666,  the  general  court  constituted  New  London 
County  with  its  county  court: 

"It  is  ordered  that  from  Paukatuck-River  wth  Norridge  to  ye  west  bounds 
of  Momonoset  Plantation  shall  be  for  future  one  County  called  the 
County  of  N.  London,  and  it  is  ordered  that  the  County  Court  shalbe 
held  at  N.  London  the  first  Wednesday  in  June  and  the  third  Thursday 
in  September  yearly. " 

"It  is  ordered  that  each  County  Court  shall  consist  at  least  of  one  Assist- 
ant and  two  comrs  to  be  the  judges  thereof." 

On  the  same  day,  Mr.  Edward  Palmes,  Lieutenant  James  Avery, 
Mr.  Daniel  Witherell,  and  Mr.  William  Douglass  were  chosen  com- 
missioners for  New  London  County.  From  that  time  until  1695, 
James  Avery  served  almost  continuously  as  one  of  the  judges  of 
the  county  court  as  the  records  of  the  general  court  and  of  the 
county  court  (now  at  Norwich)  show.  The  years  1671  and  1673 
were  the  only  ones  in  which  he  did  not  serve. 

Before  this  court  came  actions  for  debts  and  complaints  of 
evil-speaking  and  of  disorderly  conduct.  Wills  were  proved,  estates 
settled,  and  marriages  performed  the  same  as  in  the  higher  courts. 
A  few  of  the  examples  cited  by  Miss  Caulkins  may  serve  to  illus- 
trate the  manners  and  customs  of  those  days: 


64  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

' '  1667.     Goodwif e  Willey  presented  for  not  attending  public  worship  and 

bringing  her  children  thither;  fined  5s." 
"George  Tongue  and  wife  were  solemnly  reprimanded  for  their  many 

offences  against  God  and  man  and  each  other.      On  their  submission 

and  promise  of  reformation,  and  engaging  to  keep  up  the  solemn  duty 

of  prayer  and  the  service  of  God  in  the  family,  they  were  released  by 

paying  a  fine  of  £3." 
"John  Lewis  and  Sarah  Chapman  presented  for  sitting  together  on  the 

Lord's  day  under  an  apple  tree  in  Goodman  Chapman's  orchard." 
"1673.     James  Rogers,   Jr.,    for  sailing    in  a  vessel  on  the   Lord's  day, 

fined  20s." 
"Edward  Stallyon  for  sailing  his  vessel  from  New  London  to  Norwich  on 

the  Sabbath,  40s." 
"1682.     New  London  was  presented  for  not  having  a  grammar-school; 

fined   £10;   also   for  not  having  an  English  school   for   reading  and 

writing,  £5." 

That  the  county  court  had  admiralty  powers  appears  from  the 
following: 

"1680.  Thomas  Dymond  vs.  barque  Pi'ovidence,  stranded  on  Fisher's 
Island,  for  salvage  of  goods." 

James  Avery  was  as  prominent  in  the  civil  matters  of  the 
towm  and  colony  as  he  was  in  military  affairs.  He  was  chosen 
townsman  (i.e.,  selectman)  in  1660  and  held  that  office  twenty- 
three  years.  What  seems  to  have  been  one  of  his  earliest  acts  in 
this  official  capacity  shows  a  laudable  desire  to  preserve  the  public 
documents  and  is  thus  recorded: 

"Feb.  6,  1660. —For  the  setthng,  perfecting  and  fairly  recording  of  all 
records,  for  the  town's  use  and  good  of  after  posterity,  wee  agreed 
that  there  shall  be  a  towne  booke,  with  an  Alphabet  in  it,  wherein  all 
acts  passed,  orders  or  agreements,  shall  hereafter  be  fairly  recorded, 
whether  past  or  to  come,  for  the  affecting  hereof,  we  agree  that  all  the 
old  bookes  of  records  shall  be  searched  into  for  what  is  matei'ial  con- 
cerning the  public  good,  to  be  drawn  out  into  a  booke  provided  and 
paid  for  by  the  Recorder,  who  shall  have  6d,  paid  him  out  of  the  town 
rate  for  every  act,  law  or  order  recorded. ' ' 

This  is  signed  by  the  townsmen,  Obadiah  Bruen  (who  was  re- 
corder), Hugh  Caulkins,  James  Rogers,  James  Avery,  and  William 
Nichols.  Unfortunately,  the  full  measure  of  the  advantages  that 
these  wise  townsmen  intended  to  confer  upon  "after  posterity" 
was  made  scant  by  the  performance. 

The  townsmen  were  desirous  "to  know  of  the  town  what 
their  duties  were."  In  answer  to  this  application,  on  Feb.  25, 
1659-60,  at  the  annual  town  meeting  a  paper  of  instruction  and 
advice  was  prepared  for  their  use  ' '  and  sanctioned  by  the  public 


Second    Generation — James    Avery        65 

voice.  It  furnishes  a  clear  summary  of  the  various  duties  of 
those  unsalaried  officers  called  townsmen  or  selectmen,  so  essential 
in  the  organization  of  our  New  England  towns."  {Hist,  of  Neiu 
London:  92.)     In  substance  it  is  as  follows: 

"1.  To  keep  up  the  town  bounds,  and  see  that  the  fence-viewers  discharge 
their  duty  with  respect  to  individual  property. 

2.  To  take  care  that  children  are  educated,  servants  well  ordered  and 

instructed,  and  no  person  suffered  to  live  in  idleness. 

3.  That  the  laws  of  the  jurisdiction  be  maintained;— no  inmates  harbored 

above  two  or  three  weeks  without  consent  of  the  town;  and  the 
magazine  kept  supplied  with  arms  and  ammunition. 

4.  That  the  streets,   lanes,   highways  and  commons  be  preserved  free 

from  all  encroachments  and  that  they  appoint  some  equal  way  for 
the  clearing  of  the  streets  in  the  town  from  trees,  shrubs,  bushes 
and  underwood,  and  call  forth  the  inhabitants  in  convenient  time  and 
manner  for  effecting  the  same. 

5.  That  they  take  care  of  the  meeting-house  and  provide  glass  windows 

for  it,  with  all  convenient  speed. 

6.  That  they  consider  of  some  absolute  and  perfect  way  and  course  to  be 

taken  for  a  perfect  platforme  of  settling  and  maintaining  of  the 
recordes  respecting  the  towne,  that  they  be  fully  clearly  and  fairly 
kept,  for  the  use,  benefit  and  peaceful  state  of  the  town,  and  after 
posterity. 

7.  That  they  consult  together  and  with  the  moderator,  of  all  matters  to 

be  propounded  at  town  meetings,  so  as  better  to  effect  needful  things 
and  prevent  needless  questions  and  cogitations. 

8.  That  they  determine  all  matters  concerning  the  Indians  that  inhabit 

amongst  us. 

9.  That  they  regulate  the  felling,  sawing  and  transporting  of  timber; 

masts,  boards,  planks,  pipe-staves,  &c. 

10.  That  they  see  the  ferries  well  kept. 

11.  That  they  determine  all  complaints  respecting  land  grants;  except 
the  difficult  and  doubtful  cases,  which  must  be  referred  to  the  town. 

12.  That  they  have  regular  meetings  for  business  and  give  notice  of  the 
time  and  place  thereof,  by  a  paper  upon  the  meeting  house." 

For  the  next  few  years,  the  records  contain  frequent  refer- 
ences to  James  Avery  in  connection  with  such  matters  as  the  col- 
lection of  tax  rates,  arbitrations  like  that  between  "Goodman 
Packer  and  the  Indians,"  the  killing  of  wolves  for  which  he 
claimed  the  bounty  of  twenty  shillings  each,  the  naming  of  a  day 
for  the  cutting  of  wood  for  the  minister,  etc.,  the  laying  out  of  the 
king's  highways,  the  adjustment  of  the  bounds  between  New 
London  and  Lyme: 

"An  agreement  dated  May  21st,   1668,  signed  by  Mathew  Griswold,  Wm 
Waller,  .James  Auery  &  Gary  Latham,  delivered  in  presence  of  James 


66  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Rogers  and  Francis  Griswold,  concerning  the  bounds  between  New 
London  &  Lyme  is  approued  by  this  Court,  and  so  it  is  certified  under 
the  sayd  agreement  and  attested,  May  22nd  '68,  pr  John  Allyn,  Secre- 
tary," (which  adjustment  proved  to  be  unsatisfactory  to  his  fellow- 
citizens)  . 

In  February,  1665-'66,  it  was 

"Voted  by  ye  Towne  that  Leifft.  Avery  and  James  Morgan  have  power  to 
agree  with  any  person  that  hath  a  serviceable  horse  to  be  emploied  in 
fetching  up  Mr.  Bradstreet  and  what  agreement  they  make  the  towne 
to  allowe  and  make  good  the  same. " 

The  next  year,  and  as  a  consequence  of  this  carte  blanche,  Good- 
man Prentice  received  ten  shillings  for  the  use  of  his  horse  and 
Goodman  Royce  fifteen  pounds  "for  ye  minister's  dyet."  On 
June  1,  1666,  it  was 

"Voted  by  a  Vnanimous  consent  that  Mr.  Bradstreet  is  acepted  to  ye 
worke  of  ye  ministry  amongst  us,  and  that  he  have  80  lb.  pr.  yeare  to 
encourage  him  in  the  worke,  to  be  gathered  by  way  of  rate. ' ' 

The  general  court  appointed  "Lnt.  James  Aurey  and  James 
Morgan  to  lay  out  Mr.  Symon  Bradstreet  his  grant  of  land,  accord- 
ing to  his  grant."  The  town  also  voted  to  build  a  girt  house 
'  *  36  f oote  in  length,  and  25  in  breadth  and  13  studd  betwixt  ye 
joynts  with  a  stack  of  stone  chimneys  in  the  midst,"  all  at  a  cost 
of  a  hundred  pounds,  with  an  extra  appropriation  to  "paye  ye 
masons  for  building  a  stone  chimney  and  glaze  ye  house  win- 
dowes."  At  a  town  meeting  held  Feb.,  1677-8,  it  was  voted  to 
build  a  new  meeting  house  to  take  the  place  of  the  out-grown 
Blinman  edifice.  The  building  committee  consisted  of  Captain 
Avery  and  two  others.  "It  was  to  be  forty  feet  square;  the 
studs  twenty  feet  high  with  a  turret  answerable;  two  galleries, 
fourteen  windows,  three  doors;  and  to  set  up  on  all  four  gables  of 
the  house,  pyramids  comely  and  fit  for  the  work. ' ' 

In  1683,  Capt.  James  Avery  was  a  member  of  a  committee,  of 
which  Major  John  Winthrop  was  chairman,  to  send  a  letter  to  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Mather  and  the  Rev.  Samuel  Willard  at  Boston,  for 
advice  concerning  a  successor  for  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bradstreet, 
deceased.  In  the  following  June,  they  reported  in  favor  of  the 
Rev.  Edward  Oakes.  These  records  give  us  an  interesting  peep 
into  the  old  New  England  town-meeting  and  throw  an  instructive 
side  light  on  the  character  of  our  fathers. 


Second    Generation — James    Avery        67 

There  were  numerous  presentations  of  James  Rogers  for 
profanation  of  the  Sabbath  and  kindred  offenses.  He  had  exten- 
sive lands  and  a  greater  interest  in  the  trade  of  the  port  than  any 
other  person  in  the  place.  He  and  his  family  became  dissenters 
from  the  established  Congregational  church  and  allied  themselves 
to  the  Sabbatarians  or  Seventh-day  Baptists  of  Rhode  Island. 
After  1677,  his  son,  John  Rogers,  drew  off  from  the  Sabbatarians, 
assumed  the  ministerial  offices  of  preaching  and  baptizing,  and 
organized  a  new  sect  called  the  Rogerenes.  Miss  Caulkins  says 
that  '  *  a  great  and  predominant  trait  of  the  founder  of  the  sect, 
and  of  his  immediate  followers,  was  their  determination  to  be 
persecuted.  They  were  aggressive  and  never  better  pleased  than 
when,  by  shaking  the  pillars,  they  had  brought  down  the  edifice 
upon  thdr  own  heads.  They  esteemed  it  a  matter  of  duty,  not 
only  to  suffer  fines,  distrainment,  degradation,  imprisonment,  and 
felonious  penalties  with  patience,  but  to  obtrude  themselves  upon 
the  law,  and  challenge  its  power,  and  in  fact  to  persecute  others, 
by  interrupting  their  worship,  and  vehemently  denouncing  what 
they  esteemed  sacred."  These  offences  were  promptly  met  by 
penalties.  '  *  Fines  were  many  times  repeated  and  the  estates  of 
the  offenders  melted  under  the  seizures  of  the  constables  as  snow 
melts  before  the  sun."  "It  is  probable  that  all  the  penalties 
would  have  been  silently  dropped  had  they  not  kept  up  the 
aggressive  system  of  testifying,  as  it  was  called;  that  is,  present- 
ing themselves  in  the  religious  assemblies  of  their  neighbors  to 
utter  their  testimony  against  the  worship.  John  Rogers  and  the 
elder  sister  were  the  principal  offenders,  they  often  carrying 
their  work  into  meeting  and  interrupting  the  service  with  expla- 
nations and  protests  against  what  was  said  or  done."  The  fore- 
going is  intended  to  illuminate  the  following  from  the  records  of 
the  county  court. 

"April  14,  1685.  Judges  upon  the  bench,  Fitch,  Avery  and  Wetherell. 
John  Rogers,  James  Rogers,  Jr.,  Samuel  Beebee,  Jr.,  and  Joanna  Way, 
are  complained  of  for  profaning  God's  holy  day  by  servile  work,  and 
are  grown  to  the  height  of  impiety  as  to  come  at  several  times  into  the 
town  to  re-baptize  several  persons;  and  when  God's  people  were  met 
together  on  the  Lord's  day  to  worship  God,  several  of  them  came  and 
made  great  disturbance,  behaving  themselves  in  such  a  frantic  manner 
as  if  possessed  with  a  diabolical  spirit,  so  affrighting  and  amazing  that 
several  women  swooned  and  fainted  away.  John  Rogers  to  be  whipped 
fifteen  lashes,  and  for  unlawfulling  re-baptizing  to  pay  £5.  The  others 
to  be  whipped." 


68  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

James  Avery  represented  New  London  as  deputy  to  the  gen- 
eral court  for  many  years.  The  record  runs  as  follows:  May, 
1659;  Oct.,  1660;  Oct.,  1661;  Oct.,  1664;  May  and  July,  1665;  May 
and  Oct.,  1667;  April  and  May,  1668;  May  and  Oct.,  1669;  May, 
1675.  October,  1675,  he  was  reported  as  absent.  He  was  serving 
his  country  elsewhere — raising  troops  for  the  Indian  war  that  ter- 
minated in  the  great  swamp  fight  of  December  19, 1675.  We  find 
him  again  a  member  of  the  general  court,  1676;  also  May  and 
Oct.,  1677;  May,  1678;  Oct.,  1679;  Oct.,  1680;  Oct.,  1682; 'May, 
1683;  May  and  July,  1684;  May  and  Oct.,  1685;  Oct.,  1686. 

In  1687,  Andros  usurped  the  government  of  Connecticut  and, 
in  1688,  there  was  no  session  of  the  general  court.  After  the 
accession  of  William  and  Mary  in  1688,  Connecticut  called  her 
general  court  together  without  waiting  for  instructions  from  the 
home  government.  Among  the  few  determined  men  who  responded 
and  served  through  1689  was  Capt.  James  Avery  of  New  London. 
In  the  thirty  years  above  indicated,  for  twenty  of  which  James 
Avery  was  deputy,  the  general  court  passed  many  wise  and  help- 
ful laws.  The  Indians  were  defeated  or  pacified  and  Connecticut 
grew  from  weakness  into  strength.  Her  foundations  were  well 
laid  and  among  her  master  workmen  was  James  Avery. 

James  Avery  was  prominent  in  matters  relating  to  the  church, 
and  the  references  to  him  in  such  connection  are  numerous,  many 
of  which  have  been  noted  in  previous  pages.  The  church  record 
kept  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bradstreet  begins  October  5,  1670,  the  day 
of  his  ordination.     It  opens  with  the  following: 


"MEMBERS    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Lieutenant  James  Avery  and  wife, 

Thomas  Miner  and  wife, 

James  Morgan,  senior  and  wife,'' 

and  eighteen  others. 

In  his  famous  diary,  Thomas  Minor  makes  frequent  reference 
to  James  Avery  with  whom  he  was  to  be  connected  by  the  mar- 
riage of  three  of  his  children.  The  following  shows  that 
James  Avery  was  expected  to  watch  the  spiritual  interests  of 
the  church: 


Second    Generation — James    Avery        69 

"These  are  to  signifie  to  all  such  whome  it  may  concerne  that  we  whose 

names  are  under  written  being  members  of  the  Church  of  Christe  of 

New  London  doe  owne  Thomas  minor  of   stoneington  and   his  wife 

members  with  us  and  under  our  Care  and  watch  and  they  doe  live  ffor 

ought  wee  know  or  heare  as  doe  become  Christians 

James  Averie 
new  london  william  Douglass 

June  30,  1669 

In  the  name  and  with  the  Consent  of  the  Cch ' ' 

There  was  then  a  close  union  between  church  and  state,  each 
being  part  of  the  other.  The  Congregational  church  was  fully 
"established,"  wholly  "orthodox",  and  the  only  one  recognized 
by  law.  The  minister's  salary  was  raised  by  public  tax  and  a 
few  of  the  old  rate-lists  for  this  purpose  are  still  preserved.  In 
that  for  1664,  the  names  of  105  property  holders  appear.  The 
name  of  "John  Winthrop,  Squire,"  heads  the  list.  He  was  then 
a  non-resident;  his  property  was  set  down  at  £185.  The  estate  of 
James  Rogers  is  set  down  at  £548— nearly  double  that  of  any  other 
taxpayer.  The  next  highest  are  John  Pickett,  £299,  10s;  James 
Morgan,  £252;  Robert  Burrows,  £246;  James  Avery,  £236;  and 
Gary  Latham,  £217.  At  that  time,  land  was  hardly  taken  into 
account  in  the  estimate  of  the  value  of  a  man's  estate. 

As  early  as  1678,  the  people  on  the  east  side  of  the  gi'eat 
river  (the  Thames),  through  James  Avery,  petitioned  the  general 
court  for  a  church  and  a  minister  of  their  own. 

"To  the  Honord  General  Assembly  now  sitting  at  Hartford. 

The  Humble  petition  of  James  Avery  in  Behalf  the  Inhabitants  that 
live  on  the  east  side  new  London  River. 

Showing  that  whereas  we  that  now  live  at  that  place  and  besought  the 
blessing  of  God  Increased  to  about  twenty  eight  families  and  are  so 
seated  from  new  London  to  which  worship  we  at  present  pertain  that 
neither  ourselves  or  families  can  without  great  hazzard  and  trouble 
get  to  new  London  to  attend  the  public  worship  of  God  on  the  Lords 
day  to  our  great  hindrance  there  being  a  very  Great  ferry  of  about 
a  mile  over  besides  six  or  seven  miles  that  many  of  us  must  travel! 
by  Land  we  have  in  consideration  of  the  good  we  hope  to  attain  and 
the  insuitable  harm  that  otherwise  we  cannot  but  expect  have 
thought  it  our  duty  to  present  to  this  honored  court  our  condition 
and  grievances  in  the  foresaid  respect  and  that  we  have  humbly 
requested  of  our  neighbors  of  new  London  their  willingness  that  we 
might  have  a  minister  on  our  side  of  the  river  at  our  own  cost  who 
seem  to  be  very  unwilling  thereunto.  Requesting  this  court  serious 
consideration  thereof  and  that  we  may  have  liberty  of  procuring 
and  settling  a  ministry  on  our  side  of  the  river  to  be  at  our  charges 


70  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

and  that  when  the  same  is  attained  that  we  may  be  free  from  pay- 
ing to  the  ministry  at  new  London  we  hope  this  honored  court  will 
find  the  less  difficulty  to  grant  in  that  the  like  has  been  granted  to 
sundry  other  places  whose  beginnings  were  not  more  able  to  afford 
maintenance  than  we  hope  ours  are  and  to  some  as  at  Lyme  on  the 
same  reason  as  the  difficult  passage  by  water  and  that  the  welfare 
of  your  petitioners  will  bee  much  advantaged  thus  waiting  the 
Courts  pleasure  therein  we  shall  for  this  honored  court  ever 
pray  &c 

James  Avery    in  the  name  of  the  rest 
May  9,  1678" 

(From  Ecclesiastical  Documents,   vol.   1,   doc.   47,   in  the  State   Library, 
Hartford.     See  facsimile  on  opposite  page. ) 

To  this,  the  general  court  made  answer  thus: 

"May  15,  1678.  This  Court  haueing  considered  the  petition  of  Captn  Avery, 
in  behalfe  of  the  people  on  the  east  side  of  New  London  River,  peti- 
tioning that  they  might  have  liberty  to  provide  themselves  of  a  minister 
to  dispense  the  word  of  God  to  them,  &c.  as  p.  the  petition  on  file  may 
appeare,  the  Court  haueing  heard  and  considered  the  case  and  what 
hath  been  objected  against  it  by  agents  of  the  Towne  of  New  London, 
doe  declar  that  they  cannot  but  compassionate  the  condition  of  the 
people  of  London  that  have  such  troublesome  passage  to  the  worship 
of  God,  and  yet  they  cannot  see  reason  to  answer  the  desires  of  the 
petitioners  at  present,  but  advise  them  cheerfully  to  a  carrying  on  of 
the  works  of  God  in  their  present  state  vnite,  and  when  God  shall  have 
blessed  and  increased  their  numbers  and  states  so  as  that  there  may  be 
a  likelyhood  of  their  comfortable  and  honourable  mayntayning  of  two 
ministers  in  that  towne,  and  in  such  case  when  they  are  soe  accom- 
plished to  the  sattisfaction  of  this  Court,  they  may  have  a  minister  on 
I  that  side,  but  not  to  be  a  distinct  township  without  the  free  consent 

of  the  people  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  and  approbation  of  this  Court. ' ' 
(Conn.  Col.  Rec,  vol.  3,  p.  13.) 

In  1687,  after  persistent  petitionings  in  which  James  Avery  was 
prominent,  it  was  ordered  that  for  the  future  they  should  have 
liberty  to  invite  the  minister  of  the  town  to  preach  on  their  side 
of  the  river  every  third  Sabbath  during  the  four  most  inclement 
months  of  the  year. 

The  good  work  that  he  had  thus  begun  was  continued  by  his 
sons  and,  in  1702,  the  church  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  for 
which  he  had  so  long  labored  became  a  reality.  Although  he  did 
not  live  to  see  the  happy  termination  of  his  earnest  endeavor,  he 
is  justly  considered  one  of  the  founders  of  the  First  Church  of 
Groton  as  he  was  of  the  First  Church  of  New  London.  In  the 
two  hundred  years  since  then  four  buildings  have  housed  the 


Second    Generation— James    Avery        71 


■^e. 


^^. 


.tu^  o  fCj^Cr'"^''^^ 


72 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


organization.  Unfortunately,  we  have  no  picture  of  the  first; 
pictures  of  the  other  three  are  given  in  this  chapter.  The  fourth 
was  completed  in  1902.  Its  walls  are  built  of  field  stone  gathered 
from  the  many   Avery  and   other  farms  in  Groton,  and  few  of 


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them  have  felt  the  hammer.  The  memorial  window  in  the  front 
of  the  church,  is  dedicated,  by  his  descendants,  to  Captain  James 
Avery,  in  whose  active  brain  originated  the  idea  of  a  church 
organization  east  of  the  "Greate  River." 


I 


Second    Generation — James  Avery 


73 


In  1693  James  Avery  made  preparation  for  a  comfortable  old 
age.  He  had  previously  deeded  land  to  each  of  his  sons,  but  he 
then  made  a  final  provision  as  the  following  deed  shows: 

"To  all  Christian  people  to  whom  this  present  Deed  of  sale  shall  come 
James  Avery,  senior  of  New  London  in  the  Colonie  of  Connecticut  in 
New  England  sendeth  Greeting.  Know  ye  that  I  the  sd  James  Avery, 
senior  for  and  in  consideration  of  that  natural  affection  and  love  which 


FIRST  CHURCH   OF  GROTON — THIRD   BUILDING:  1834-1902 


I  give  and  bear  unto  my  beloved  sonn  Samuel  Avery  of  the  Towne  and 
Colonie  aforesaid  as  also  for  other  considerations  payments  and  Reser- 
vations hereby  and  herein  specified  to  be  allowed  and  performed  by  my 
said  sonn  Samuel  Avery  with  the  which  I  doe  acknowledge  myself  to  be 
fully  Satisfied  and  Contented  and  upon  performance  of  the  same  Doe 
Aquit  and  Discharge  my  sayed  son  Samuel  Avery,  his  heirs,  Executors, 
Administrators,  and  Assigns  forever  by  these  present.  Have  given, 
Granted  Bargained,  Sold,  Alliened,  Enfeofed   and  Confirmed  and   by 


74  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

these  present  Doe  fully  and  Absolutely  Give,  Grant,  bargain,  Sell, 
Allien,  Enfeof  and  Confirme  unto  my  sayde  sonn  Samuel  Avery  his 
heirs.  Executors,  Administrators,  Assigns  forever  all  that  my  ffarme 
whereon  I  dwell  with  the  parcel  of  land  and  meadow  thereunto  belong- 
ing situate  and  being  on  the  east  side  of  New  London  River  at  New 
London  containing  in  estimation  two  hundred  and  twelve  acres  to  the 
James  Morgan  lott  the  parcel  being  butted  and  bounded  viz.  Impremis 
the  home  lott  containing  fifty  Akers  bounded  on  the  west  and  partly  on 
the  south  with  the  Brook  or  river  and  part  of  the  salt  [blot]  and 
which  the  Brook  empties  into  and  partly  on  the  south  by  the  lane  that 
parts  this  land  and  the  ffarme  in  the  possession  of  Major-General  John 
Winthrop  on  the  north  with  the  land  of  Nehemiah  Smith  and  on  the 
east  with  land  in  the  possession  of  my  sonne  Thomas  Avery.  More 
sixty  Akers  of  land  lying  in  Paqunotk  bounded  on  the  west  with  the 
greate  swamp  and  on  the  east  with  Paquanotk  coave  or  River  on  the 
north  and  south  with  the  lands  of  Mr.  Richard  Lord  and  Mr.  John 
Daugs.  More  one  hundred  Akers  of  land  with  meadow  on  it  lying  to 
the  northward  of  Mr.  Richard  Smith's  house  bounded  on  the  south  with 
sd  Smith's  land  and  on  the  east  with  Ledges  of  Rock  and  Comon  and 
on  the  west  with  a  cart  way  that  leadds  to  the  woods  and  on  the  north 
with  land  formerly  given  to  my  sonn  James  Avery  now  layde  Down 
Comon.  More  two  Acres  of  meadof  lying  at  (?)  plaine  (?)  bounded  on 
the  north  with  a  swamp  on  the  east  with  land  of  James  Avery  junior 
and  the  other  bounds  as  by  records  of  said  meadow  together  with  all 
housings  Buildings  and  housings,  Barns  Stables  or  chatels  ffruit  trees 
all  herds  profits,  privileges  comonages  and  all  other  Appurtenances  as 
with  sd  ffarm  and  grants  of  land  belonging  or  in  any  way  appertaining 
to  have  and  to  hold  the  sd  ffarm  and  parcels  of  land  butted  and 
bounded  as  aforesaid  with  all  other  the  above  granted  premises  unto 
my  sd  sonn  Samuel  Avery  his  heirs.  Executors,  Administrators,  Assigns. 
.  .  .  Provided  always  and  it  is  nevertheless  agreed  and  conceded  by 
and  between  the  said  parties  these  presents,  that  I  the  said  James 
Avery  senior,  do  reserve  the  north  end  of  the  dwelling  house  during  my 
life  and  the  life  of  my  wife  Johanna  Avery  and  also  the  full  moyity  or 
one  half  part  of  the  neat  product  or  increase  of  all  the  land  above 
aliened  during  my  own  life  and  the  life  of  my  beloved  wife  Johanna 
Avery  which  sd  lands  are  to  be  improved  by  my  sd  son  Samuel  Avery 
to  an  best  advantage  the  charges  thereof  are  to  be  equally  borne  or 
boarne  betwixt  us  and  satisfied  out  of  the  produce  what  remaining  to 
be  equally  shared  betwixted  us.  Likewise  it  is  agreed  by  the  parties 
to  these  p/esent  that  the  stock  of  neat  cattle  which  now  are  on  the 
ffarm  being  two  oxen,  16  cows,  4  steers  4  ys  old,  8  steers  3  y  old,  16 
steers  and  heifers  2  ys  old,  11  steers  and  heifers  1  yr  old,  50  sheep, 
7  swine,  4  mares,  2  young  horses,  1  bull  are  at  this  time  belonging  the 
one  half  share  to  me  the  sd  James  Avery  senior  and  the  other  half  at 
this  time  belonging  to  my  sonn  Samuel  Avery  all  of  which  stock  is  to 
Runn  and  be  Maintayned  with  the  hay  gott  out  of  the  sd  ffarm  and 
lands  agreed  on  about  the  cows  &  the  charges  to  be  equally  borne  by 


Second   Generation— James  Avery 


75 


CO 

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76  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

each  party  and  the  one  half  of  its  produce  to  accrew  yearly  to  me  the 
sd  James  Avery  senior  the  other  half  of  its  produce  to  be  and  belong 
to  my  sonn  Samuel  Avery.  It  is  likewise  agreed  by  and  between  the 
Said  parties  to  these  presents  that  at  the  death  and  decease  of  the  said 
James  Avery  senior  and  my  loving  wife  Johanna  Avery  or  at  the 
decease  of  my  sd  sonn  Samuel  Avery  the  afore  mentioned  stock  of  neat 
cattle,  sheep  swine  &  the  increase  thereof  shall  be  equally  divided  the 
one  half  to  be  at  the  disposal  of  me  the  sd  James  Avery  senior 
and  my  loving  wife  Johanna  Avery  by  our  last  will  and  testament 
and  the  other  half  to  be  and  belong  to  my  sd  son  Samuel  Avery  and  his 
successors. 
It  is  also  agreed  between  the  parties  by  these  present  that  if  my  sd  sonn 
Samuel  Avery  decease  before  me  James  Avery  senior  or  before  my 
loving  wife  Johanna  Avery  then  provision  is  made  by  these  presents 
that  his  heirs,  Executors,  Administrators,  Assigns  are  to  perform  what 
is  obliged  to  Doe  by  these  presents,  Relating  to  the  improving  of  the 
sd  ffarme  And  providing  for  the  Stock  that  Remains  and  belongs  to  me 
the  sd  James  Avery  senior  or  to  Johanna  Avery  my  wife  during  both 
our  natural  lives  otherwise  to  be  at  the  ordering  and  in  the  possession 
of  me  the  sd  James  Avery  senior  or  Johanna  Avery  my  wife  During 
our  life  time  and  no  longer  but  then  to  Revert  and  Return  to  the  heirs, 
executors  or  administrators  of  my  sd  son  Samuel  Avery.  In  witness 
whereof  I  the  sayde  James  Avery  senior  have  put  to  my  hand  &  seale 
in  New  London  this  seventeenth  day  of  ifebry  one  thousand  six  hundred 
ninety  two  three. 

James  Avery. 
Signed  sealed  returned  in  the  presence  of 

Edward  Palmes  Capt.  James  Avery  acknowledges  the 

Sarah  Palmes  above  written  to  be  his  act  and  deed  the 

the  mark  of  22  Feb.  1692-3  that  the  whole  deed  before 

Mary  (M.)  Roberts  me  Rivhard  Christopher  Commoner. 

Extracted  out  of  the  original  and  recorded  by  me  Daniel  Witherell  Re- 
corder, May  6,  1693. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  wife,  Joanna,  was  Hving  in  1693.  The  date 
of  her  death  is  not  known.  She  was  the  mother  of  all  the  chil- 
dren of  James  Avery. 

About  1655,  a  certain  Abigail,  surname  unknown  (the  late 
Judge  Richard  A.  Wheeler  of  Stonington  said  it  was  Ingraham), 
was  married  to  Samuel,  the  son  of  William  Cheeseboro,  the 
founder  of  Stonington.  Their  daughter,  Abigail  Cheeseboro,  mar- 
ried John",  the  son  of  Captain  James'  Avery.  Samuel  Cheeseboro 
was  buried  July  31,  1673,  and,  on  June  15,  1675,  his  widow  was 
married  to  Mr.  Joshua  Holmes.  Mr.  Holmes  died  in  1694  and,  on 
July  4,  1698,  his  widow  was  married  to  the  widowed  Captain  James 


Second    Generation— James    Avery 


77 


THE  AVERY   MEMORIAL  WINDOW 


The  two  middle  panels  at  the  bottom  of  the  window  contain 
the  following  inscription  : 


This  window  is  erected  in  memory  of 

of  this  Church  and  Town  by  his 
"Well  done  good  and  faithful  servant: 


James  Avery,  one  of  the  founders 

descendants — A.  D.  1902 
enter  thou  into  the  joys  of  thy  Lord." 


78  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Avery.  Captain  James  Avery  died  April  18,  1700;  his  widow  was 
living  September  9,  1715,  at  which  date  she  states  that  she  has 
received  full  satisfaction  from  her  two  sons  for  her  right  of 
dower  in  the  estate  of  Samuel  Cheeseborough.  {Stonington  Deeds, 
hook  2:292. ) 

In  studying  the  record  of  those  days,  the  careful  student  is 
strongly  impressed  with  the  fact  that  Capt.  James  Avery  was  a 
very  remarkable  man.  Living  as  he  did  in  stirring  times,  he  was 
a  leader  among  strong  men,  enjoying  their  confidence  and  respect 
because  he  deserved  them.  Especially  is  it  to  be  noted  that, 
although  the  state  took  cognizance  of  affairs  that  we  now  call 
private  and  interfered  in  the  details  of  family  life  and  personal 
relations  in  a  way  that  would  not  now  be  tolerated,  he  was  never 
censured  or  "presented"  for  any  shortcoming  or  alleged  derelic- 
tion of  duty  or  propriety.  Eminent  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  his 
descendants  look  upon  him  with  pride  and  affection  as  one  sans 
peur  et  sans  reproche. 

Children  of  James  and  Joanna  (Greenslade)  Avery: 

Hannah',  b.  Oct.  11,  1644,  at  Gloucester,  Mass. 

James",  b.  Dec.  16,  1646,  at  Gloucester,  Mass. 

Mary%  b.  Feb.  29,  1647-8,  at  Gloucester,  Mass. 

Thomas',  b.  May  6,  1651,  at  New  London,  Conn. 

John',  b.  Feb.  10,  1653-4,  at  New  London,  Conn. 

Rebecca',  b.  Oct.  6,  1656,  at  New  London,  Conn. 

Jonathan',  b.  Jan.  5,  1658,  at  New  London;  bu.  Sept.  15,  1681,  at 

New  London;  unm. 
Christopher',  b.  April  30,  1661,  at  New  London;  d.  Dec.  8,  1683, 

at  New  London;  unm. 
Samuel',  b.  Aug.  14,  1664,  at  New  London,  Conn. 


3. 

1. 

4. 

ii. 

5. 

iii. 

6. 

iv. 

7. 

V. 

8. 

vi. 

vii.    , 

viii. 

V35 

.9. 

ix. 

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CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  THIRD  GENERATION. 

3.  Hannah"  Avery  (James',  Christopher^)  was  b.  Oct.  11, 
1644,  at  Gloucester,  Mass. ;  m.  June  20,  1666,  at  New  London, 
Conn.,  Ephraim  Minor,  s.  of  Thomas  and  Grace  (Palmer)  Minor,* 
of  Stonington,  Conn.  He  was  bap.  May  1,  1642,  at  Hingham, 
Mass.  He  lived  at  Stonington,  Conn.;  was  a  farmer;  freeman, 
1669;  deputy  to  the  general  court,  1676,  1677,  1681,  1690-1693, 
1699,  1701-1705,  1713;  lieutenant  of  train  band.  He  served  in  the 
King  Philip  war  and  for  his  services  received  arable  land  and 
cedar  swamp  in  Voluntown. 

Thomas  Minor,  the  father  of  Ephraim,  in  his  famous  diary, 
records: 

April,  1666:  "The  11th  day  wensday  The  macth  was  made  up  between 
Ephraim  and  hanah  Averie  I  gave  the  2  horses  to  Ephraim  and  Josepth 
to  buy  Their  weding  suts  sabath  day  the  15th  Sabath  day  22  Ephraim 
and  hanah  Averie  was  put  over  the  meeting  house  dore. " 

In  June  of  the  same  year  he  writes:  ''wensday  the  20,  our 
Ephraim  was  married. ' ' 

"Ephraim  sonn  of  Thomas  Minor  and  Hanah  daughter  of  James  Averie 
were  married  ye  20  day  of  June  1666  by  me  Obediah  Bruen. ' '  (Stoning- 
ton Records.) 

From  Minor's  diary  we  learn  that  Ephraim  was  one  of  the 
nine  who  "begun  the  Church  at  Stonington  in  June  1674." 

Feb.  1674-5.     "the  28  day  was  sabath  day  Ephraim's  wife  was  ppounded 

to  the  Church. 
"The  14.  of  March  1675.     Hanah  minor  Ephraim's  wife  was  admitted." 

(Minor's  Diary.) 

The  records  often  read:  "Church  met  at  Ephraim  Minor's 
house. ' ' 


*  The  name  is  now  commonly  written  Miner.     We  here  follow  the  original 
autograph  authority. 


80  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Mrs.  Hannah  Minor  died  Aug.  22,  1721;  Mr.  Ephraim  Minor 
d.  May  19,  1724,  both  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  Ephraim  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Minor  (all  b.  in 
Stonington) : 

i.       Hannah*,  b.  April  5,  d.  May  25,  1667. 

ii.  Ephraim",  b.  June  22,  1668;  bap.  June  16,  1672;  m.  May  24,  1694,  Mary 
Stevens,  of  Taunton,  Mass.;  deputy  to  general  court  many  terms; 
justice  of  peace;  selectman;  captain  of  train  band;  member  of 
Church  of  England;  d.  Feb.  19,  1739-40,  at  Stonington. 

iii.  Thomas*,  b.  Dec.  17,  1669;  bap.  June  16,  1672;  d.  Sept.  8,  1688,  at 
Stonington;  unm. 

iv.  Hannah',  b.  April  20,  1671;  bap.  June  16,  1672;  m.  Jan.  6,  1692,  at 
Stonington,  Samuel  Frink. 

V.  Rebecca*,  b.  Sept.  17,  1672;  bap.  Nov  15,  1674;  m.  July  8,  1696,  at 
Stonington,  Josiah  Grant;  d.  Jan.  15,  1746-7,  at  Stonington. 

vi.     Elizabeth',  b.  April  30,  bap.  Nov.  15,  1674;  m.  John  Brown. 

vii.    Samuel*,  b.  Dec.  9,  1675;  d.  before  1680. 

viii.    Deborah*,  b.  April  15,  bap.  June  3,  1677;  d.  Aug.,  1678. 

ix.  Deborah',  b.  April,  bap.  March  30,  1679;  m.  July  8,  1696,  at  Stoning- 
ton, Joseph  Pendleton;  d.  Sept.  8,  1698,  at  Stonington.  Joseph 
Pendleton  subsequently  married  her  cousin.  Patience  Potts  (No.  8, 
iii). 

X.  Samuel*,  b.  Aug.  28,  1680;  bap.  March  13,  1680-81;  m.  April  7,  1702, 
at  Stonington,  Ann  Denison;  ensign  in  train  band;  d.  Dec.  8,  1717,  at 
Stonington;  s.p. 

xi.  James*,  bap.  April  9,  1682;  m.  Feb.  2,  1704-05,  at  Stonington,  Abigail 
Eldridge;  m.  2d,  May  4,  1721,  at  Stonington,  Sarah  Ayers;  deputy 
to  general  court;  lieutenant  of  train  band;  selectman;  d.  June  3, 
1726,  at  Stonington. 

xii.  Grace*,  b.  Sept.  1683;  bap.  Nov.  14,  1683;  m.  Jan.  10,  1701,  at  Ston- 
ington, William  Palmer;  lived  at  Pun-hun-gue-nuck  Hill,  North 
Stonington. 

xiii.  John*,  b.  April  19, 1685;  bap.  June  7,  1685;  m.  May  5, 1709,  at  Stoning- 
ton, Mary  Eldridge;  justice  of  peace;  d.  1717,  at  Stonington. 

^,^ " .-  Sons,  twins,  b.  and  d.  May  22,  1687. 

Ephraim,  Thomas,  and  Hannah  were  bap.  at  the  First  Church, 
New  London;  the  other  children  at  the  First  Church,  Stonington. 

4.  James"  Avery  {James',  Christopher')  was  b.  Dec.  16,  1646, 
at  Gloucester,  Mass.;  m.  Feb.  20,  1669,  at  New  London,  Conn., 
Deborah  Stallyon,  dau.  of  Edward  and  Margaret  Stallyon.  The 
New  London  town  records  for  1669  contain  the  following  entry: 

"James  Avery  jun.  sonn  of  James  Avery  was  marryed  unto  Deborah  ye 
daughter  of  Edward  Stallyon— 20  of  February." 


The  Third   Generation  81 


Feb.  12.  1670,  James  Avery's  wife  Deborah  was  bap.  in  the  First 
Church,  New  London. 

Jan.  12,  1670-71,  Edward  Stallyon  and  Margaret,  his  wife, 
deeded  land  to  their  son-in-law,  James  Avery,  jun.,  which  land 
they  gave  him  with  their  daughter,  "Debora,  his  now  wife;" 
also  a  farm,  upland  and  meadow,  in  or  about  Birch  Playne  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  or  creek  which  Stoney  Brook  runs  into,  with 
house  and  barn,  &c. ;  provided  it  is  agreed  James  Avery  is  to  keep 
for  the  use  of  the  said  Edward  Stallyon  and  Margaret  his  wife 
during  their  life  12  head  of  cattle  which  he  is  to  keep  and  look  to 
both  summer  and  winter.  This  document  is  signed  by  Edward 
Stallyon  and  James  Avery.     {New  London  Deeds,  5:18.) 

He  also  received  numerous  tracts  of  land  from  his  father,  one 
(March 28, 1679)  being  enough  to  make  up  a  hundred  acres  "near 
the  cart  path  that  goes  to  John  Morgans,  near  the  county  road." 
May  29,  1702,  Capt.  James '  and  Capt.  John '  Avery,  Ephraim  and 
Joseph  Myner  sold  three  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Preston  called 
Pachaug. 

James'  Avery  early  disposed  of  his  land  on  the  General  Neck, 
land  that  came  to  him  from  his  father  and  grandfather,  and  lived 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Like  his  father,  he  took  an  important 
part  in  the  affairs  of  the  colony.  He  took  the  oath  of  freeman, 
Oct.  14,  1669.  He  was  several  times  selectman  of  Groton,  also 
justice  of  the  peace;  he  was  deputy  from  New  London  to  the 
general  court  seven  times  (1690-1702),  and  from  Groton  nine  times 
(1707-12) ;  he  was  made  sergeant  of  the  train  band.  New  London, 
June  5,  1683;  he  was  commissioned  lieutenant  in  May,  1690,  and 
later  became  captain;  he  was  counselor  and  advisor  of  the  Pequot 
tribe  and,  in  1720,  became  their  guardian;  in  1723,  he  instituted 
suits  to  recover  lands  of  which  they  had  been  deprived;  he  several 
times  acted  as  interpreter  to  the  council;  he  was  often  on  com- 
mittees to  settle  boundary  disputes  and  the  location  of  public 
lands,  and  often  served  on  the  grand  jury.    (See  Conn.  Col.  Rec.) 

Captain  James'  Avery  took  part  in  various  expeditions  against 
the  Indians  of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  Under  date  of 
Sept.  13,  1703,  Fitz-John  Winthrop,  then  governor  of  Connecticut, 
wrote  from  New  London  to  Capt.  Avery,  who  was  near  Woodstock, 
saying: 

"My  letters  fi*om  Boston  give  me  acct.  that  a  marching-party  of  600  men 
are  moveing  to  finde  the  enemye's  head-quarters,  and  therefore,  till  I 


82  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

heare  farther,  it  is  necessary  that  you  attend  to  my  former  instruc- 
tions to  you  &  farther,  that  you  send  one  of  your  Company  to  me  & 
to  be  here  every  Wedensday  night,  that  I  may  have  opportunely  to 
give  you  orders  pursuant  to  the  acct.  I  may  receive  by  post." 

Winthrop  wrote  again  from  New  London,  Sept.  22,  1703,  telling 
Capt.  Avery  to  march  his  English  and  Indians  home,  to  dismiss 
them,  and  to  come  directly  to  New  London, 

"that  I  may  have  full  acct.  of  your  proceedings  and  what  has  occurred  to 
your  observation  relateing  to  the  approach  of  ye  enemy." 

In  closing  his  letter,  he  said: 

"I  have  only  to  add  my  thankes  to  yourself  &  Company  for  their  good  ser- 
vice and  am 

Yor.  very  loving  f reind,  J :  Winthrop. ' ' 

Feb.  22,  1703-4,  Joseph  Dudley,  then  the  royal  governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts, wrote  from  Boston  to  Governor  Winthrop  thanking  him 
for  his  care  in  the  public  service  and  saying: 

"That  which  I  would  have  is  100  Indians  and  about  twenty  Englishmen 
well  known  to  them,  and  Mr.  Avery  is  recomended  to  mee  as  a  sutable 
officer  for  them,  to  live  abroad  in  a  hut  at  a  sutable  place,  to  govern 
the  western  part  of  the  Eastern  Indians  upon  Lake  Winepesioco  [Lake 
Winnepesaukee],  which  is  better  known  to  us  than  to  your  people;  .  .  . 
And  therefore  I  have  sent  two  hundred  men  well  appointed,  who 
marched  this  day  fortnight,  under  our  joynt  kinsman  Major  Winthrop 
Hilton,  to  Pegwockit  [Pigwacket],  an  Indian  fort  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  said  lake  to  destroy  or  dislodge  the  Indians,  and  by  no  means  to 
destroy  the  fort,  which  I  hope  they  will  report  to  be  a  good  reception 
for  your  party. ' ' 

June  24,  1704,  Gov.  Winthrop  wrote  from  New  London  to  the 
committee  of  war  calling  attention  to  the  condition  of  affairs  at 
Northampton  and  vicinity  and  recommending  that  they  give  orders 

"yt  that  part  of  ye  country  may  not  be  left  naked  &  ye  inhabitants  of  ye 

frontier  towns  there  discouraged I  am  very  sensible  of    our 

extraordinary  charge,  and  have  considered  the  proposal  of  drawing  off 
ye  garrison  at  Deerfield  and  calling  home  our  forces  to  ye  eastward. 
As  to  ye  latter  I  wrote  to  Capt.  Avery  by  Mr.  Eliot,  (who  went  from 
hence  to  Boston  yesterday)  to  return  with  the  forces  under  his  com- 
mand." 

Aug.  4,  1704,  Capt.  Avery  with  his  Moheags  was  ordered  to  Groton 
to  abide  there  for  a  time  and  to  scour  the  woods  thereabouts.  He 
was  unable  to  obey  his  command  as,  before  the  letter  arrived,  the 
Indians  had  gone  into  the  Northern  woods  with  a  design  to  come 


The  Third    Generation 


83 


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84  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

upon  the  enemy's  tracks  on  their  return  from  Lancaster.  ''So  yt 
Capt.  Avery  cant  march  to  Groton  with  them,  as  yr  Honr  men- 
tions,"  wrote  Daniel  Wetherell.  (Winthrop  Papers,  in  Mass. 
Hist.  Collections,  series  6,  vol.  3:  154,  155,  172,  229,  252,  253,  and 
Avery's  History  of  the  United  States  and  Its  People,  vol.  3:  291.) 

Capt.  James"  Avery  was  in  the  ill-fated  expedition  to  Canada 
in  1709.  His  command  included  Indians,  as  the  following-  items 
show: 

July  6,  1715.  "Ordered  that  Wednesday  next,  or  as  soon  as  may  be,  the 
Indians  under  command  of  Capt.  James  Avery  and  Capt.  Manassah 
Miner,  in  the  expedition  against  Canada  in  the  year  1709,  who  are  pre- 
sented by  said  captains  as  deserting  from  that  service,  with  his  Majes- 
ties arms,  and  several  things  belonging  to  his  Majesties  stores,  be 
brought  before  the  Gouvernour  and  Council  to  give  an  account  of  the 
arms,  &c.,  which  they  deserted  with:  and  that  a  warrant  be  drawn  to 
said  captains  or  either  of  them  accordingly. "    {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  5:515.) 

October  3,  1720.  "Upon  the  motion  of  Capt.  James  Avery  in  behalf  of 
Menobscus  a  Pequod  Indian,  who  was  one  of  his  men,  (and  lost  a  brass 
kettle  apprized  at  twelve  shillings,  when  the  scout  was  routed  at  the 
Crown  Point)  in  the  first  expedition  to  Wood  Creek:  Resolved,  that  the 
clerk  of  the  Council  do  make  out  an  order  to  the  treasurer,  for  the  pay- 
ment of  the  sum  of  twelve  shillings  out  of  the  publick  treasury,  to  the 
aforesaid  Indian,  in  full  satisfaction  of  his  kettle."  {Conn.  Col.  Rec, 
6:205,  and  Avery's  History  of  the  United  States  and  Its  People,  vol.  3: 
273,  293.) 

In  1696,  the  general  court  was  petitioned  for  a  grant  of  land 
to  the  volunteers  in  the  Narragansett  war.  The  court  granted 
them  a  tract  six  miles  square  to  be  taken  up  in  the  conquered 
territory.  In  1697,  Lieutenant  James '  Avery  was  one  of  a  com- 
mittee to  view  said  tract.  In  1700,  the  tract  was  confirmed  to  the 
volunteers.  In  1701,  Lieutenant  James"  Avery  was  one  of  a  com- 
mittee of  five  to  receive  and  to  decide  on  the  correctness  of  the 
claims  presented.  Captain  James'  Avery  and  his  three  sons, 
James",  Thomas ',  and  John ',  were  found  to  be  entitled  to  grants  in 
the  new  township.  In  addition  to  the  first  grant,  the  cedar  swamp 
was  divided  and  each  of  them,  Capt.  James '  and  his  three  sons, 
received  grants  of  "Cedar  Swamp  Lots."  Captain  James'  Avery 
did  not  live  to  receive  his  Voluntown  grants.  Neither  Indians  nor 
the  white  men  who  were  pressed  into  service  received  lands  in 
Voluntown.  James"  Avery  received  lot  No.  8  (arable)  and  lot  No. 
178  (cedar  swamp).  See  Boge's  "Soldiers  of  King  Philip's  War," 
pp.  441,  442,  446. 


The  Third    Generation  85 

At  the  first  town  meeting  of  Groton,  March  22,  1704  05,  James' 
Avery  was  chosen  to  appear  at  Hartford  to  secure  the  approbation 
of  the  general  court  for  a  town  east  of  the  river.  In  1705,  he  was 
chosen  one  of  the  surveyors  of  Groton.  May  11,  1706,  he  was  one 
of  a  committee  to  allot  lands  in  that  town.  He  was  townsman  in 
1706,  1708-1711,  and  justice  of  the  peace  in  1712.  In  December, 
1705,  he  and  his  brother,  Samuel,  were  on  a  committee  to  settle 
the  accounts  with  New  London.  July  15,  1708,  he  and  his  brother 
John  were  members  of  a  committee  to  lay  out  100  acres  of  land  to 
Mr.  Woodbridge.  April  26,  1709,  he  was  one  of  the  committee 
whose  duty  it  was  to  perambulate  the  bounds  between  the  North 
Parish  and  Groton.  In  1712,  he  was  a  member  of  the  commission 
to  divide  the  common  lands.  When  the  lands  of  Nowayunck 
(Noank)  were  allotted,  he  was  given  lot  No.  18.  See  Minutes  of 
Selectmen  of  Groton. 

James'  Avery  was  early  a  member  of  the  First  Church  at 
New  London.  He  took  up  the  work  that  his  father  had  begun  in 
1678  and,  with  Mr.  Crary,  appeared  before  the  general  court  at  its 
May  session,  1696,  in  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  on  the  east  side  of 
New  London  River  for  liberty  to  embody  themselves  into  a  church, 
which  application  was  refused,  as  the  following  shows: 

"Mr.  James  Averie  and  Mr.  Crery  inhabitants  on  the  east  side  of  New- 
London  River,  moved  this  court  on  behalf  of  the  people  there  inhabit- 
ing, to  grant  the  said  people  liberty  to  embody  themselves  into  church 
state  in  order  to  their  comfortable  enjoyment  of  the  ordinances  of  God. 
This  court  having  considered  the  matter  doe  refer  it  to  the  Genrl  Court 
on  October  next  and  doe  advise  the  sd  inhabitants  to  treat  with  their 
neighbors  the  inhabitants  of  the  towne  of  New  London  in  the  mean 
time  and  to  endeavore  their  concurrence  with  them  in  their  desire." 
(Conn.  Col.  Rec,  4:164.) 

They  again  applied  and  were  again  refused: 

"May,  1697.  Lieut.  Averie  and  Mr.  Burrows  appeared  in  the  Court  to 
prosecute  their  application  to  this  Court  in  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  of 
New  London  living  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  that  this  Court  would 
grant  them  liberty  to  embody  in  a  ch.  way  and  to  call  a  minister  &c. 
This  Court  having  considered  their  circumstances  doe  not  see  cause  to 
grant  their  desire,  there  not  being  clear  evidence  of  good  agreement 
among  them  nor  of  their  ability  to  afford  a  minister  honorable  mainte- 
nance."     {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  4:210.) 

By  their  persistence  in  this  matter.  Lieutenant  Avery  and 
others  brought  upon  themselves  the  censure  of  the  New  London 
church. 


86 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


On  the  ninth  of  May,  1700,  more  than  three  score  of  the 
inhabitants  of  New  London,  most  of  whom  lived  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  lodged  with  the  general  assembly  a  complaint  or 
"remonstrance"  against  their  minister,  the  Reverend  Gurdon  Sal- 
tonstall.  They  claimed  that  the  rates  were  illegally  collected;  that 
they  were  not  allowed  to  choose  their  own  collectors;  that  he  had 
been  absent  about  twenty  Sundays  in  two  years;  that  his  favorites 
got  the  best  pews  and  the  best  of  the  common  lands;  that,  when 
the  people  called  a  town-meeting  and  elected  new  officers  to 
redress  their  wrongs,  Mr.  Saltonstall  got  the  governor  and  council 
to  call  a  new  election;  that  he  objected  to  some  voting  on  the 
ground  that  they  were  no  "inhabitants,"  etc.  From  beginning 
to  end,  the  remonstrance  plainly  shows  the  intensity  of  the  feeling 
under  which  it  was  written;  the  electric  charge  crackles  in  every 
paragraph  and  in  almost  every  sentence.  Every  one  who  signed 
it  came  under  the  censure  of  the  church  and  more  than  one  of 

them  had  to  have  his  children 
baptized  "in  right  of  his  wife. " 
To  show  that  this  discipline  did 
not  imply  disorderly  conduct  or 
guiltiness  of  gross  sins,  it  is 
worth  while  to  give  careful 
study  to  the  hitherto  obscure 
history  of  this  remonstrance. 

He  upon  whose  head  these 
vials  of  wrath  were  poured  out 
was  no  ordinary  country  pas- 
tor, meek  and  mild.  Gurdon 
Saltonstall's  was  a  powerful 
personality.  Naturally  of  the 
strenuous  type,  his  combative- 
ness  had  been  called  into  sharp 
action  by  the  growing  heresy 
known  as  the  half-way  cove- 
nant. He  was  learned  and  elo- 
quent, and  distinguished  for 
his  knowledge  of  men  and  af- 
fairs and  for  his  elegance  of 


GORDON  SALTONSTALL 


manners.      He   was   ordained 


The   Third   Generation  87 

as  pastor  of  the  New  London  church  in  1691.  In  the  "Early 
History"  of  that  church,  its  late  pastor,  Dr.  Blake,  says  (page 
218)  that  Saltonstall  ' '  magnified  his  oflfice.  He  loved  synods  and 
was  inclined  to  the  more  rigorous  forms  of  ecclesiastical  govern- 
ment." He  also  says  (page  216)  that  Saltonstall  "had  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  imperious;  perhaps  not  altogether  without  reason." 
That  the  preacher  was  also  a  successful,  practical  politician  ap- 
pears from  the  fact  that  from  the  first  day  of  January,  1708,  to 
his  death  in  September,  1724,  he  was  the  governor  of  the  colony 
of  Connecticut. 

As  already  intimated,  the  true  story  of  the  remonstrance  of 
1700  has  never  been  written.  Even  as  careful  a  historian  as  Dr. 
Blake  did  not  find  the  key  that  opens  the  door  of  the  long  closed 
chamber.  In  his  "Early  History  of  the  First  Church "  (page  220) 
he  says:  "What  the  complaints  were,  which  were  made  against 
Mr.  Saltonstall,  we  are  not  told,  nor  has  any  copy  of  them  been 
preserved."  But  a  copy  of  them  was  preserved.  Unfortunately, 
Dr.  Blake  did  not  find  it;  we  had  better  luck.  The  original  docu- 
ment is  on  file  in  the  state  library  at  Hartford.  The  following  is  a 
true  copy: 

THE  REMONSTRANCE 

To  the  Honorable  General  Assembly  Sitting  at  Hartford  The  Ninth  day  of 
May,  one  thousand  &  Seven  Hundred 

We  the  Subscribers  being  Inhabitants  and  for  the  most  part  freeholders, 
within  the  Town  &  Limits  of  New  London.  In  this  his  Majesties 
Colony  of  Connecticut,  have  for  divers  years  last  past,  found  our  Selves 
oppressed  by  ye  unwarrantable  and  unjust  actions  of  some  of  our 
Neighbors,  who  are  kept  in  places  &  offices,  by  a  party  of  kindred, 
or  neer  Relations,  to  our  great  damage,  which  we  do  here  under  humbly 
offer  to  lay  before  this  Honorable  Assembly,  a  brief  account  of  part 
thereof  for  their  information,  &  in  order  to  our  Reliefe  therein. 

1st.  That  at  Mr.  Saltanstals  (our  present  minister)  Coming  to  this  Town, 
his  Annual  allowance  was  stated  by  persons  voluntary  Subscriptions, 
to  what  they  would  pay  him,  which  he  accepted  of.  It  amounting  to 
betwixt  fifty  seven  &  fifty  eight  pounds  money — if  it  is  Objected  that 
Some  did  not  pay  what  they  Subscribed  for.  It  may  be  answered  that 
it  was  then  proposed  by  Majr  Palmes,  that  four  or  six  persons  might 
then  have  been  Chosen  to  goe  to  Contribution,  and  the  Rest  to  have 
Accounted  with  the  Deacon,  which  proposal  was  then  Rejected  by  Capt. 
Witherell. 

2ndly.  That  the  vote  or  agreement  entered  in  the  Moderator's  book  the  26th 
of  february,  1690-91  for  paying  one  hundred  &  forty  pounds  by  Rate 
for  Maintanance  of  the  Minister  &  for  his  wood  was  Either  misunderstood 


88  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

or  Entered  wrong  by  the  Moderator— For  the  agreement  or  vote  was 
Seventy  pounds  money,  and  such  as  could  not  pay  money  were  to  allow 
Double  in  pay,  this  may  be  plentifully  testified  by  Divers  of  the  Church, 
and  other  honest  men  present  at  Said  Meeting.  Yet  hath  said  minister 
taken  the  advantage  of  said  Entry,  and  not  minded  the  votes,  or  those 
that  Informed  him  of  it  but  hath  Required  and  taken  two  thirds  of  140 
lbs  pay,  which  is  ninety  three  pounds  six  shillings  and  eight  pence 
money  To  the  great  oppression  of  our  Selves  &  others,  which  we  can 
neither  prevent  nor  Remedy,  because  most  of  the  Raters  and  Listers 
are  his  favorites  and  are  still  kept  in  places  by  his  Influence  &  ye  above 
said  parties  numerous  Relations. 

3dly.  Whereas  it  is  entered  in  the  Moderators  book  the  said  26th  of  f  ebruary 
1690-91,  that  what  shall  be  procured  of  Mr  Livins  Estate,  shall  be  part 
of  ye  140  lb  and  so  much  of  the  Rate  abated— yet  at  a  Town  meeting 
holdin  July  2d  1694,  Is  Entry  made  in  the  moderators  book,  and  said  to 
be  voted,  that  Mr  Saltanstal  shall  (for  his  Encouragement  in  setling 
amongst  us,  and  for  purchasing  some  Lands  to  build  on)  have  by  vote 
given  him  ye  Interest  of  the  three  hundred  pounds  money,  in  the  hands 
of  Majr  Winthrop  (which  money  was  formerly  given  to  the  Town  by 
the  said  Mr.  Liven)  for  the  term  of  three  years— This  was  Contrived  & 
Entered  by  that  party  untill  others  Appeared  and  objected,  which  caused 
it  to  be  null,  as  the  moderator  also  owns,  yet  is  there  no  enterry  made 
of  its  being  vacated,  but  stands  as  fair  as  the  enterry  said  to  be  voted 
ye  26th  of  february  1690-91  of  140  lbs  for  maintainance  of  the  minister 
and  may  as  justly  be  demanded  of  us. 

4thly.  Mr.  Saltenstal  Procured  a  Law  or  order,  of  the  (called)  General  Court 
at  hartford  January  22,  1697  (when  there  was  none  to  Defend)  for  the 
place  of  New  London  in  particular:  that  ye  Constables  shall  collect  ye 
Ministers  Rate  which  thing  is  Contrary  to  a  General  &  Established  Law 
of  this  Colony,  and  unrepealed,  which  says  that  ye  Towns,  have  liberty 
to  Chuse  Collectors,  and  what  soever  Complaints  he  made  in  Order  to 
his  Obtaining  the  same,  he  well  knows  the  main  Obstruction  was  his 
Demanding  more  than  his  Due,  by  which  it  appears  that  what  we  could 
not  grant  or  allow,  he  will  make  it  his  business  to  Obtain  power  to  force, 
contrary  to  all  rules  of  justice  or  honesty.  Likewise  the  false  complaint 
to  the  said  Court  that  the  List  was  detained  by  Mr.  Edgcomb  &c  by 
means  whereof  the  Country  Rate  Could  not  be  made.  When  it  appears 
the  Country  Rate  was  then  made,  and  only  wanted  Subscribing  by  some 
of  the  Rate  makers,  which  Complaint  procured  an  order  also  of  the  said 
Court,  for  the  officer  to  break  open  Dores  &c  for  obtaining  said  List, 
out  of  the  persons  Custody  to  whom  it  did  justly  belong,  meerly  on  pur- 
pose to  put  into  such  hands,  as  would  be  Influenced  to  make  the  Minis- 
ters Rate  as  would  best  suit  his  Interest,  Though  Contrary  to  the 
declared  minde  of  Sundry  Substantial  Inhabitants. 

5thly.  That  although  Mr.  Saltanstal  is  so  Eager  and  Craving,  after  more 
than  was  ever  allowed  him  by  vote  of  ye  People  yet  takes  he  the  Liberty 
to  be  absent  severall  Sabbaths  (esteemed  to  be  about  20  &  od  Sabbaths 


The   Third    Generation  89 

in  two  years)  About  Law  affairs  as  Attorney  and  about  Country  Ser- 
vice &c.  for  which  he  hath  Considerable  allowance  (as  is  said)  that  it 
seemeth  very  hard  for  us,  not  only  to  pay  more  than  would  be  justly 
due  to  him  if  he  performed  his  Duty  punctually  towards  us,  but  also 
to  pay  for  Service  he  performeth  not,  and  moreover  to  pay  our  Shares 
of  what  the  Country  allows  him  besides. 

6thly.  It  is  entered  as  above  mentioned  in  the  ToMm  order  of  ye  26th  of 
february  1690-91,  that  what  Shall  be  procured  of  Mr.  Livens  Estate 
shall  be  part  of  ye  140  lb,  and  so  much  of  the  Rate,  abated,  which  we 
finde  was  never  allowed  the  Town  but  one  year— yet  Capt.  Witherell  & 
Nehemiah  Smith,  give  under  their  hands  that  they  have  perused  the 
particulars  of  Mr.  Saltanstals  accounts,  and  do  finde  in  them,^  that  the 
Town  have  Credit  by  the  Interest  of  Mr.  Livens  money,  in  the  years 
92:  93:  94:  95:  &  96  the  Sum  of  ninety  &  one  pounds  as  money— from 
which  grounds  And  on  what  Account  this  money  hath  been  Received 
and  paid  to  him  we  are  kept  Ignorant  of —for  the.Rate  is  made  generally 
more  than  the  sum  of  140  lb  pay,  or  two  thirds  money,  and  if  the 
Collectors  gather  it  not,  are  sued  and  Lyable  to  pay  it  themselves— If 
they  Shall  Say  it  is  for  old  Arreares  before  Rating  it  is  Answered  each 
person  then  Subscribed  for  himselfe,  and  not  to  pay  more  than  his  own 
share  nor  did  the  Town  Agree  then  for  any  sum  Certaine  but  what  each 
would  freely  subscribe  &  pay— If  they  pretend  it  a  gift  of  the  Town 
Towards  Building  his  house  &c.  It  is  answered  above  in  the  third 
Article. 

7thly.  As  the  Claym  for  the  said  Ministers  Rates  for  the  Reasons  above 
mentioned  is  unjust  &  oppressive,  so  the  method  of  Rending  from  us 
what  is  so  unjustly  Claymed  with  out  tryall  and  Selling  the  same  at  an 
Outcry,  Doth  greatly  aggrievate  our  Oppression.  Neither  Do  we 
approve  of  the  Dissenters  being  so  dealt  with,  whose  Estates  Are 
generally  Sold  for  less  than  halfe  the  value  &  Seldom  any  overplus 
Returned,  —which  Methods  are  Contrary  to  the  Principles  and  practices 
of  our  former  Ministers,  who  would  not  suffer  any  persons  to  be  dis- 
trained on  for  their  Rates,  Their  principle  Aymes  being  to  promote  the 
free  progress  of  the  Gospell  (the  work  to  which  they  were  called)  and 
the  preserving  of  peace  and  Amity  amongst  their  People. 

8thly.  That  the  Town  have  often  Endeavored  to  pay  their  just  debts  to  all 
persons  to  whom  they  owed  for  any  Service  done  &c  And  have  Ordered 
Rates  proportionable  for  discharging  the  same  yet  have  that  pay  or 
money  So  ordered,  been  drawn  out  of  the  Collector's  hands,  by  some  of 
the  above  hinted  party  or  family,  and  Converted  to  Other  uses  without 
ye  Towns  knowledge  or  assent,  And  thereby  divers  unpaid  when  due, 
much  not  gathered,  to  the  great  prejudice  of  such  as  do  pay,  who  are 
also  Constrained  to  pay  againe  what  hath  been  so  drawn  from  the 
Collector,  or  ungathered,  as  is  too  Evident. 

9thly.  That  we  have  been  and  are  greatly  damaged  by  the  above  said 
party  or  Relations,  in  their  Selling  or  other  wayes  Disposing  to  their 
favorites  our  Common  Lands  (as  they  please  Contrary  to  an  order  made 


90  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

and  allowed  by  the  Town  for  neer  40  years  which  Order  hath  Reserved 
such  Lands  for  Commonage)  which  hath  been  denyed  to  Old  Setlers 
when  they  have  Desired  it— Their  manner  hath  been  to  Call  Town 
Meetings  when  neer  two  thirds  of  the  Town  have  no  notice  or  knowl- 
edge thereof,  or  what  is  there  Intended  to  be  done  by  them— The 
Laudable  practice  of  other  places  of  Convening  ye  people  by  due  Warn- 
ing being  wholly  Rejected  by  them,  and  no  other  notice  generally  given, 
but  a  paper  set  on  ye  meeting  house  on  ye  Lords  Day,  where  only  such 
as  go  in  at  that  door  Can  have  sight  thereof,  And  few  that  will  or  can 
Read  what  is  there  written.  The  generality  of  the  people.  Especially 
those  on  ye  East  side  seldom  getting  knowledge  thereof,  by  Reason  of 
their  going  elsewhere  to  meeting  and  of  their  Remoteness  of  living — 
Nor  have  we  any  account  what  use  the  money  is  put  to  for  such  lands 
as  are  sold  by  them,  without  Order  or  power. 

lOthly.  Our  people  generally  have  been  very  forward  &  unanimous,  to  pro- 
mote and  pay  for  the  building  of  our  new  meeting  house,  Tho  at  a  very 
hard  Rate  (viz  at  12d  in  ye  pound)  And  in  so  Dificalt  a  Season,  when 
many  wanted  bread  for  their  families  And  now  it  is  Built,  we  finde  the 
said  party  or  Relations  very  Ambitious  &  predominate,  in  promoting 
themselves  and  Favourites  Into  the  Chiefest  places  thereof.  Whilst 
Others  of  Equall  or  better  degree,  are  put  by  the  places  they  Enjoyed 
In  the  former  Meeting-house,  Contrary  to  an  agreement  of  the  present 
Committy,  which  was  that  all  Should  be  Seated  as  in  the  former 
Meeting-house,  northward  of  ye  East  and  West  doors— Also  the  Body 
of  ye  Meeting-house  (by  their  Influence)  Is  so  Cumbered  with  Pews  for 
advancing  their  said  favorites  (Tho  many  of  them  young,  of  Ordinary 
Estates,  Extract  &  Education)  That  the  more  Substantial,  more 
Ancient  &  more  Numerous  persons  are  Crowded  into  those  few  short 
seats,  Conteening  scearce  one  third  part  of  the  Said  Room— Also  we 
have  no  account  how  our  money  is  Expended,  or  what  is  ungathered, 
or  in  whose  hands.  Only  it  is  Rumored  that  the  Carpenters  are  unpaid, 
whose  allowance  for  building  much  Exceeds  the  former  house  by  pro- 
portion—Also the  Rate  for  Seating  said  house  &c  is  unaccounted  for. 
However  we  are  made  sensible  that  said  Carpenters  have  allowed  them 
for  Seating  Said  Meeting-house,  Pulpit,  &c  70  lb  Money,  being  a  third 
part  more  than  Ought  to  be  allowed  as  by  ye  judgment  of  Other 
workmen,  but  more  especially  Considering  they  take  upon  them  to  Croud 
the  house  so  fully  of  Pews,  And  dispose  of  them  for  their  own  private 
proffeit  to  whom  they  please,  without  the  Approbation  of  the  Town,  so 
that  they  have  but  little  seating  work  to  doe  for  so  great  a  sum  of 
money,  of  the  publick.  Because  the  privat  Pew  purchasers,  pay  over 
again  for  their  partition  and  seatings  of  much  that  should  have  been 
the  Publicks  Room. 

llthly.  For  Removal  of  these  and  other  Greviances,  we  were  desirous  In  a 
Legal  way  to  provide  a  Remedy  &  Accordingly  Did  meet  on  our  stated 
day  for  electing  Town  officers,  being  the  last  Thursday  of  february 
past,  at  ye  usual  place  where  Capt.  Daniel  Witherel  moderator  for  the 


The   Third    Generation  91 

Last  year,  Ordered  the  People  to  bring  in  their  votes  for  first  Towns- 
man (who  by  a  late  order  of  the  Town  had  power  when  chosen  to  stand 
moderator  at  that  present  meeting)  The  Choyce  fell  upon  Majr  Edwd 
Palmes  &  was  so  declared  by  said  Capt.  Witherel,  who  Ordered  the 
Constable  to  proclaim  it,  &  call  for  their  votes  for  ye  Second  Towns- 
man, which  was  attended,  and  the  Choyce  fell  upon  said  Capt.  Witherel, 
After  which  some  Dispute  arose,  about  some  persons  that  had  voted 
(as  Mr.  Samuel  Rogers  &  some  others  that  stood  by.)  Majr  Palmes 
coming  up  to  the  meeting  Enquired  of  the  Constable  &  others  how  the 
Choyce  went  &  was  Informed  That  himself  was  chosen  first  Townsman 
(and  consequently  moderator)  &  Capt.  Witherel  the  second  upon  which 
Information  said  Palmes  took  his  place  as  moderator,  And  Ordered  the 
Constable  to  call  for  their  votes  for  third  Townsman  which  Choyce  fell 
on  Mr.  Thomas  Boles,  28  votes  the  4th  Mr.  John  Edgcomb,  30  votes, 
the  5th,  Lieut.  James  Avery,  31  votes,  the  6th  Lieut.  John  Morgan,  31 
votes,  the  7th,  Serg.  PhiHp  Bill,  27  votes.  Then  it  was  voted  with  full 
Consent  that  the  present  Townsmen,  (viz)  Majr.  Edward  Palmes,  Capt. 
Daniel  Witherel,  Mr.  Thomas  Boles,  Mr.  Jno  Edgcomb,  Lieut.  James 
Avery,  Lieut.  Jno.  Morgan  &  Sergeant  Philip  Bill  should  be  List 
makers  and  Rate  makers  for  the  ensuing  year.  That  John  Chapman, 
John  Rogers  Senior,  William  Douglas,  Jun.,  Mr.  George  Denison,  & 
Nathaniel  Chappell  should  be  surveyors  on  high  wayes,  on  the  Town  or 
West  side  of  the  River,  And  that  Sergeant  Stark,  John  Fanning  &  John 
Morgan,  Jr.  should  be  surveyors  of  high  ways  on  the  East  side  of  the 
River.  Fence  viewers  then  chosen  were  Jno  Chappell,  Jno  Richards, 
&  James  Morgan  Jr.,  &  so  ye  said  meeting  broke  up. 

12thly.  Some  party  (the  minor  part)  being  unsatisfied  at  this  Choyce,  In 
that  themselves  were  Laid  by  and  their  former  actions  like  to  be 
enquired  into.  Contrived  a  Groundless  pretense  Complaining  to  ye 
Gouvenour  and  Councill,  that  their  Surveyors  for  high  wayes  (whom 
they  had  chosen  in  a  corner)  would  not  be  Obeyed  for  mending  the  high 
wayes— That  it  was  a  Groundless  pretence,  calculated  only  to  make 
their  Complaint  Seem  Reasonable,  most  plainly  appears:  Because:  If 
their  pretended  Surveyor  had  been  never  so  Legally  chosen,  yet  no 
men  of  sense  would  have  called  men  out  to  that  work  at  so  unseason- 
able a  time,  it  being  the  first  week  in  March,  and  the  Ground  Hard 
frozen— However  this  pretended  Complaint  Procured  an  order  of  the 
Governour  and  Councill  of  the  6th  of  March  (but  not  in  the  Kings  name) 
Directed  to  the  Constable  for  warning  The  Inhabitants  to  Convene  the 
18th  of  said  March,  to  make  Choyce  of  Selectman,  Surveyors  &  Other 
Town  oflficers.  At  which  time  the  Generality  of  the  Inhabitants  mett 
at  the  Meeting-house.  Partly  to  Defend  the  Choice  that  was  made  on 
their  stated  Day  for  such  election,  being  the  Last  thursday  of  february : 
And  partly  to  hear  what  would  be  Object  against  their  Being  Inhabi- 
tants, For  such  an  notion  (in  Order  to  Cause  obstruction)  had  been 
Started,  Tho  no  Law  or  president,  to  Render  the  Greater  part  of  the 
people  no  Inhabitants  can  be  produced  as  practised,  at  Least  not  since 


92  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


the  Revolution.  But  all  that  shall  come  to  such  meeting  have  the  liberty 
to  vote  both  in  ours  and  in  Other  Towns,  Thorrought  the  Whole  Colony, 
as  it  was  practised,  in  the  voting  for  the  present  Govenour  to  goe 
agient  [against].  Also  the  charter  gives  power  to  Assemble  Marchall 
array,  and  List  in  warlike  posture  ye  Inhabitants  of  said  Colony. 
Moreover,  the  treasuries  warrant  Runs  to  the  Constables  to  collect  of 
the  Inhabitants  From  whome  (as  we  conceive)  It  is  demonstratively 
implied  without  all  peradventure,  that  all  persons,  so  Trained  or  Rated 
are  without  object  Lawfully  Accounted  to  be  Inhabitants:  Otherwise 
there  hath  been  Divers  Illegal  meetings,  and  many  acts  passed  that  call 
for  Repealing  both  in  this  Town  and  elsewhere.  Or  at  Leastwise,  if  on 
the  Other  hand  they  are  not  to  be  Accounted  Inhabitants  Then  are  they 
not  the  persons  According  to  Charter,  that  can  Lawfully  be  Trained  or 
Rated:  which  thing  would  be  of  a  very  fatall  Ruinous  consequence. 
However  before  the  said  meeting  broke  up,  the  names  of  such  then 
present,  as  were  not  entered  in  the  List  of  the  Ancent  Inhabitants, 
were  taken  And  an  agreement  made  that  the  said  names  should  be 
Read  over  for  the  old  inhabitants  to  make  objection  against  such  as 
they  saw  cause  (which  was  done.)  They  only  Objecting  against  two 
persons,  and  one  under  age.  The  rest  to  be  esteemed  Inhabitants  (as 
most  of  those  in  the  old  List  were  Accepted  of  one  another  without 
voting) .  This  being  done  such  was  our  Condesention  Once  again  to  put 
the  Choice  of  such  officers  to  the  vote.  An  order  was  given  to  the 
Constable  to  call  for  the  votes  for  the  first  Townsman,  which  was 
attended  the  Choyce  again  faUing  on  Majr  Palmes,  51  votes.  But  by 
Reason  of  Obstructions  Raised  by  the  Dissatisfied  (minor)  party,  And 
it  being  late  in  the  day  nothing  more  was  Done  but  the  meeting  broke  up. 

ISthly.  We  have  Imployed  and  Impowered  Maj  Edwd  Palmes,  Lieut.  James 
Avery,  &  Lieut.  Jno.  Morgan  to  present  this  our  Remonstrance  to  the 
Honorable  the  General  Assembly  (as  it  first  directed)  also  to  make 
application  thereof  and  to  Receive  &  Embrace  such  Orders  for  our 
Reliefe,  as  the  verity  of  our  Aggrievances,  And  the  justness  of  our 
Complaints  Shall  move  the  Said  Honorable  Court  to  Appoint. 

Subscribed  by  us  in  behalfe  of  our  Selves,  &  several  Others,  who  with  us 
are  highly  Sensible  of  these  our  Aggrievances  in  Generall  &  mostly 
of  Each  particular  thereof. 
(Sgd) 


The    Third    Generation 


93 


i^rh     I 


; 


^^' 


y^£^  ^S^.f      ^^^^y  l^^^Jorr 


<^.  /?»^9 


^ 


M. 


J^ 


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<3^^Tj"if       '^^s^^^c 


c^ 


FACSIMILE  OF  SIGNATURES 

(CownecticMf  Ecclesiastical  Documents.  Book  1.  No.  145) 


94  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

In  his  "Early  History  of  the  First  Church  "  (pages  218,  219), 
Dr.  Blake  says  that  this  list  of  ' '  Complaints  against  the  Elder  of 
the  Church  of  Christ  in  New  London"  was  "signed  by  five 
members  of  said  church,  viz.,  Lieut.  James  Avery,  John  Morgan, 
Sam'l  Bill,  John  Fox,  and  John  Morgan,  Jr.,  and  presented  to  and 
published  in  the  last  general  assembly  sitting  at  Hartford,  May  9, 
1700,  by  James  Avery,  John  Morgan,  and  Edward  Palmes."  The 
general  court  referred  the  remonstrance  to  an  ecclesiastical  council 
that  met  June  12,  1700,  and  reported  to  the  New  London  church 
at  a  meeting  of  the  brethren  held  June  19,  1700.  Dr.  Blake's 
statements  are  based  upon  the  records  of  that  church  meeting. 
Never  having  seen  the  document  in  question,  he  did  not  imagine 
that  the  list  of  more  than  sixty  signers  had  been  cut  down  to  five. 

Dr.  Blake  tells  us  (page  219)  that  the  original  report  of  the 
ecclesiastical  council  ' '  has  been  lost  and  was  never  entered  upon 
the  minutes  of  the  Church.  We  are  not  informed  as  to  the  details 
of  the  findings  of  the  council.  But  we  know  that  by  its  advice, 
the  offenders  were  censured  and  suspended  from  the  privileges  of 
the  Church,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  was  done  in  the  case  of 
James  Avery,  Jr.,  and  others."  But  in  two  places  in  his  book 
(pages  207  and  217) ,  Dr.  Blake  gives  the  date  of  this  discipline  of 
the  church  as  May  26,  1700,  James  Avery's  child  being  baptized 
"in  right  of  his  wife,  he  being  under  offence."  At  that  time,  the 
remonstrance  had  been  presented  to  the  general  court  at  Hartford, 
but  it  had  not  even  been  considered  by  the  ecclesiastical  council 
which  did  not  convene  until  June  12,  and  did  not  report  to  the 
New  London  church  until  a  week  later.  It  is  impossible  that  the 
penalty  imposed  upon  James  Avery,  as  above  mentioned,  was  by 
the  advice  of  the  Killingly  council;  it  is  more  likely  that  it  was 
the  arbitrary  act  of  the  able  and  "imperious"  pastor. 

A  man  like  Gurdon  Saltonstall  was  not  likely  to  let  such  a 
matter  rest  without  further  notice.  He  was  the  pastor  and  chief 
adviser  of  Fitz-John  V/inthrop,  the  governor,  and  had  great  influ- 
ence with  the  council  and  their  representatives  at  Hartford.  The 
colonial  records  show  that  the  general  court  demanded  that  the 
remonstrants  appear  before  it  to  answer  the  said  Saltonstall;  the 
warrant  was  duly  served  and  return  thereof  was  made  on  Sep- 
tember 30,  1700. 

SALTONSTALL'S    PETITION  (UNSIGNED    COPY). 

To  the  Honbl,  the  Gov  &  Councill;  &  the  Representatives  of  his 
Majties  Colony  of  Connecticut,  convened  in  Generall  Assembly,  at 
Hartford,  Octob  ye  10:  1700. 


The   Third    Generation  95 

The  humble   Petition  of  Gurdon  Saltonstall,   Minister  of  the 
Gospell,  in  New  London,  within  ye  Colony  aforesd. 
SHEWETH. 

That  y  Petitioner  sometime  in  May  last  past,  had  a  Paper  comprehend- 
ing severall  Articcles  of  Accusation,  in  which  are  contained  Severall 
particulars,  false  and  of  a  Nature  highly  Scandalous,  tending  to  the 
great  Defamation  of  yr  Petitioner,  presented  agt  him,  in  both  Houses  of 
the  Honbl  Generall  Assembly,  then  sitting  in  Hartford,  by  Majer  Edward 
Palmes  Esq  Leiv  James  Avery,  &  Leivt  John  Morgan  all  of  New  Lon- 
don, in  the  Colony  aforesd:  Of  Which  Injury  Your  Petitioner  neither 
hath,  or  can  obtain  of  the  sd  Persons  any  manner  of  Satisfaction;  Yr 
Petitioner  therefore  being  fixed  in  the  Ministeriall  Office,  within  this 
Colony,  &  under  the  Protection  of  his  Majties  Government  established 
in  the  Same,  humbly  moves  Yr  Honrs  to  take  Cognizance  of  the  sd 
defamatory  Accusation;  that  if  the  aforesd  Persons  presenting  the 
same  before  the  aforesd  Genii  Assembly  are  able  to  make  good  the 
sd  Slanderous  Accusation,  &  to  justifie  before  this  Honbl  Court 
(where  they  themselves  have  laid  it  &  pray  Sd  Judghment)  the  Charge 
therein  made,  in  those  defamatory  Parts  of  it  agt  Yr  Petitioner,  they  may 
be  obliged  thereunto:  But  if  they  shall  not  be  able  to  justifie  the  same, 
that  then  Yr  Petitioner  may  obtain  such  Judghment  agt  the  sd  Accus- 
ers, for  ye  sd  Publique  Slander,  as  the  meritt  of  the  Cause  shall  require, 
&  this  Honbl  Assembly  shall  judge  meet— Yr  Petitioner  having  for  that 
End,  procured  a  Citation  of  ye  sd  Persons  so  falsely  &  Slanderously  [?] 
accusing  him,  to  appear  before  this  Honbl  Court,  and  given  them  a  Copy 
of  this  Petition  as  the  Law  in  Such  Cases  provides;  And  also  most  wil- 
lingly referring  himself  (as  the  sd  Accusers  do  pretend  for  them- 
selves) to  the  Judghment  or  Determination  of  this  Honbl  Court,  in 
all  the  matter  of  Complaint,  contained  in  any  of  the  sd  Articles  of 
Accusation  against  him. 

And  Yr  Petitioner 

shall  ever  pray  &c: 
Originall  Writ  and 

Petition  Coppy 

The  above  is  a  copy  of  Connecticut  Ecclesiastical  Document, 
No.  148,  State  Library,  Hartford. 

THE   WARRANT. 

To  Majer  Edward  Palmes  Esq  Lt  James  Avery  Lievt: 
John  Morgan,  all  of  New  London,  within  his  Majties 
Colony  of  Connecticut. 

Whereas  You,  and  each  of  You,  did,  (sometime  in  the  month  of  May  last 
past,  at  Hartford,  in  the  Colony  aforesd,  &  in  the  Honbl  Genii  Court 
then  Setting  there)  in  Yr  own  Names,  (&  as  was  also  alledged  by  You, 
in  the  Name  of  severall  other  Persons,)  present  &  make  Publication,  of 
a  certain  Paper,  conteining  Severall  Articles  of  Accusation,  agt  the 


96  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


Revd  Mr  Gurdon  Saltonstall  Minister  of  the  Gospell,  in  ye  sd  Town  of 
New  London,  comprehending  severall  Particulars  false  &  of  a  nature 
highly  Slanderous  and  tending  to  his  great  Defamation;  Whereof  the 
sd  Saltonstall  doth  Complaine,  to  the  next  Genii  Assembly  to  be 
holden  at  Hartford  on  the  tenth  day  of  October  next  ensuing  the  date 
hereof,  by  a  Petition,  the  Copy  of  Which  for  Your  more  full  informa- 
tion, is  annexed  hereunto. 

These  are  therefore  in  his  Majties  Name,  to  require  You  the  sd  Majer  Edwd 
Palmes  Esq  Lt  James  Avery,  &  Lievt  John  Morgan,  &  each  of  You,  to 
appear  at  the  sd  Genii  Court,  to  be  holden  at  Hartford,  on  the  tenth  day 
of  sd  October  to  answer  the  sd  Complaint  of  ye  sd  Revd  Mr  Gurdon 
Saltonstall;  for  Yr  aforesd  defamatory  Accusation,  and  to  respond  to 
ye  sd  Complaint  in  such  Damages  as  ye  sd  Honbl  Court  shall  award  or 
judge  meet;  and  hereof  faile  not,  as  You  will  answer  the  Contrary- 
Given  under  my  hand  in  New  London,  Sept:  ye  16th  1700. 

To  the  Sheriff  of  the  County  or  Constable  of  the  Town  of  New  London  or 
either  of  them;  to  serve  and  return  to  the  next  Genii  Court;  or  to  ye 
Secrty  of  the  Colony 
before  Sd  Court.  Daniell  Wetherell 

Register 

The  abovewritten  Warrant  was  read  to  Majer  Edwd  Palmes  &  served  ac- 
cording to  law,  and  a  Copy  of  the  Petition  annexed  was  given  to  him: 
Sept:  ye  27th:  1700.  The  Same  Warrant  was  read  to  Lt  James  Avery, 
&  Lt.  John  Morgan,  abovenamed  and  served  according  to  Law  &  a  copy 
of  ye  Sd  Petition,  given  to  Lt  John  Morgan,  &  another  Copy  of  the 
Same  offered  to  Leivt  James  Avery,  but  refused  by  him, 
Sept:  28:  1700 

N  Lond:  Sept:  30th:  1700  by  mee. 

John  Prentts  Sh 
rife 

The  above  was  copied  from  the  Connecticut  Ecclesiastical 
Documents  in  the  State  Library  at  Hartford.  It  is  not  numbered. 
Document  No.  149  is  the  sheriff's  "A  bill  of  Charge  for  the  Surv- 
ing  the  within   [  ]   ac  Cording  too  Law."     The  charge  for 

service  on  Major  Palmes  was  6d. ;  for  service  on  Lieutenant  Avery, 
Is. ,  3d. ;  for  service  on  Lieutenant  Morgan,  3s. ;  total  4s. ,  9d. 

SALTONSTALL'S  ARGUMENT. 

To  the  Honbl  House  of  Representatives 
Setting  at  Hartford.  October  ye  10th:  1700. 
The  Reasons  for  hearing  the  Case  laid  before  this  Honbl  House  by  Gurdon 
Saltonstall  Minister  of  ye  Gospell,  in  his  Petition  now  before  this  House, 
relating  to  a  Paper  Of  Articles  exhibited  agt  him  before  this  House  in 
May  last,  by  Majr  Edwrd  Palmes  Lt  James  Avery  &  Leivt:  John 
Morgan,  of  New  London. 


The   Third    Generation  97 


1.  Bee:  The  Defamation  wh  yr  Petitioner  supposes  to  be  contained  in  those 

Articles  agt  him,  being  made  in  the  Generall  Assembly  of  the  whole 
Country,  Yr  Petitioners  Good  name  so  injured  cannot  possibly  be  justly 
vindicated  by  any  private  [illegible]  which  is  consonant  to  the  Judgh- 
ment  &  Advice  of  many  unbiassed  Judicious  Persons;  without  which  I 
should  not  have  moved  in  this  matter; 

2.  Bee :  The  af oresd  Persons  so  injuring  Ye  Petitioner,  have  since  May  last, 

openly  professed  &  frequently,  that  they  were  able  to  make  out  & 
would  prove  before  this  Honbl  House,  the  whole  matter  charged  by 
them  agt  Ye  Petiter:  and  Severall  Persons  who  have  been  drawn  in  to 
sign  ye  aforesd  Papers,  have  hitherto  delayed  attendance  on  their 
necessary  Duty,  ecclesiastically  considered;  in  Confidence  of  the  Sd 
Accusation  being  here  proved  and  made  out; 

3.  Bee:  Yr  Petitioner  doth  certainly  know  that  it  is  the  desire  of  the  most 

of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Sd  Town  of  New  London,  who  wish  the  Peace 
&  weall  of  the  Same  that  all  matters  of  Controversy  complained  of  in 
the  aforesd  Paper  relating  to  Yr  Pettionr  should  be  determined  by  this 
Court;  as  the  only  likely  expedient  to  satisfie  all. 

4.  Bee:  If  wt  is  alledged  agt  Yr  Petitioner  should  be  true  it  will  be  not  only 

proper  but  necessary  for  this  Honbl  Court  to  reflect  thereupon;  and  on 
the  other  hand  Yr  Petitioner  humbly  conceives,  (especially  in  respect 
of  the  office  He  sustains  within  this  Government)  that  he  may  claime 
the  priviledge  of  being  vindicated  from  those  Aspersions  by  the  Judgh- 
ment  of  this  Honbl  Court;  which  is  the  only  thing  He  Craves  agt  the  Sd 
Persons  so  complaining  agt  him. 
And  Nevertheless,  He  doth  hereby,  publiquely  and  in  the  Presence  of  this 
Honbl  House,  offer  to  the  aforesd  Persons  to  obligd  himself  with  them, 
in  Sufficient  Bonds,  to  abide  by  the  Judghment  of  Such  Arbitrators,  as 
shall  be  chosen;  or  shall  be  appointed  by  the  Genii  Court  now  Setting, 
to  issue  finally  &  determine  all  matters  of  difference,  complained  of  by 
them  in  ye  f oresd  Paper,  agt  Yr  Petitioner:  so  far  as  they  come  under 
a  civill  consideration,  and  are  issuable  by  Law  &  Evidence  or  according 
to  Justice  &  Equity:  which  He  hereby  declares  himself  ready  to  do; 
notwithstanding  the  aforesd  Judghment  &  Vindication  of  this  Honbl 
House,  humbly  and  as  He  hopes,  not  inconsistent  with  the  well  known 
principles  of  Religion  &  Equity,  sought  for  by  Yr  Petitioner. 

G:  Saltonstall. 
(Conn.  Ecclesiastical  Doc,  No.  146.) 

DEFIANT    ANSWER    OF    THE    REMONSTRANTS. 

To  the  Honed  Generall  Court  now  Assembled  at  Hartford  the  10th 
of  October  1700;— the  Reply  or  Answer  of  Edward  Palmes  and 
James  Avery  Sen  Both  of  New  London,  (in  behalfe  of  themselves 
and  Lieuts  John  morgan  of  Sd  New  London)  to  a  draught  or  prayer 
styled  a  Petition  under  the  name  of  mr  Gurdon  Saltonstall  of  Said 
New  London — 


98  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

That  whereas,  the  Said  Palmes,  Avery  and  Morgan, —did  in  beehalfe  of 
themselves  and  a  great  number  of  Substantial!  Inhabitants  of  the  towne 
aforesd  Present  to  the  honed  Generall  Court  (Assembled  at  Hartford 
on  the  9th  of  may  last  past)  A  Certayne  Information  and  Complaints 
of  Publick  grievances  by  which  they  were  oppressed  in  Said  towne;  — 
Expecting  A  matter  soe  Important  and  Proper  to  be  by  their  Authorety 
Redressed:— would  have  bin  Considered  And  Such  offycers  and  offend- 
ers, Complayned  of  as  foully  to  have  bin  Cytid  and  Examined,  Con- 
cerneing  what  was  AUedged  — Butt  in  stead  thereof; — the  said  writeing 
wherein  Sd  Complaints  &  Information  was  Contayned,  —  (which  was  left 
with  the  Secretary  of  Said  Court)  was  Caryed  to  New  London:  and 
there  Impoured  by  the  abouesd  Saltonstall, — to  Rayse  Agreat  deal  of 
trouble  in  Church  &  towne.  And  now  one  under  the  name  of  Salton- 
stall hath  Summoned  the  Said  Palmes  Avery  &  morgan,  to  answer 
before  this  honed  Court,  for  a  Pretended  false  and  Slanderouse  accusa- 
tion of  him  the  Said  Saltonstall; — which  is  Exceedingly  Injuriouse  and 
absolutely  Illegall  upon  the  following  Grounds,  — 

lly  the  Draught  styled  a  Petition,— under  the  name  of  sd  Saltonstall,  is 
Really  a  Scandellouse  Libell,  — Because  Said  Saltonstall,  (or  others  in 
his  name.)  had  not  signed  it, — (yf  that  be  atrue  Coppey  that  the  offycer 
hath  Attested  &  deliuered)  whereby  Said  Palmes  Avery  &  morgan;  — 
knowes  not  of  whome  to  Recover  damages  for  the  accusation  alledged,  — 
or  Cost  for  their  trouble  &c. 

2dly  Yf  Said  Saltonstall  hath  Cause  of  action  for  afalse  &  Slanderouse 
accusation  he  ought  to  assigne  the  matter  of  Said  Slander, —or  what 
word  it  did  Consist  in  otherwaies  Said  Palmes  &c.  Cannot  Know 
what  to  Answerto,  — or  what  Evidence  to  bring  to  vindicate  them- 
selves,— 

3dly  Yf  Said  Saltonstall  have  Cause  of  action  for  Slander, —  he  may  have 
his  Remedy  at  the  Comon  law,— for  it  is  a  knowne  Rule  &  Presedent 
in  this  Court  that  where  any  person  may  have  his  Remedy  at  the  Comon 
law, —he  Cannot  nor  ought  not  be  Admitted  in  the  Court,— because  none 
ought  to  be  denyed  ajury:— wherefore  Said  Palmes  &c.  desyred  that 
they  may  have  the  priuelledge  of  Subjects,— and  the  Libertie  of  the 
Law;— to  be  tryed  by  a  Jury  of  their  Equalls,  —whose  oath  will  obleidge 
them,  to  give  verdiff  according  to  law  &  Eudience  and  that  the  Said 
Saltonstalls  Case  Soe  Illegallay  Brought  before  this  Court  may  be  dis- 
missed— 

Edwd=  Palmes: 

Oct  1700  James  Avery 

{Conn.  Ecclesiastical  Doc.  No.  147) 

THE   VERDICT. 

On  the  tenth  of  October,  the  lower  house  declared  Mr. 
Saltonstall  not  guilty  as  charged;  the  upper  house  concurred  in 
the  action  four  days  later. 


The  Third    Generation  99 

October:  10th:  1700 

Whereas  Majer  Palmes,  Lieut  James  Averye  and  Lieut  John  Morgan  all  of 
Newlondon  did  present  a  paper  in  the  Generall  Assembly  Sitting  at 
Hartford  May  Last:  Conteining  Severall  Articles,  alledging  divers 
things  against  the  Reverent  Mr.  Gurdon  Saltonstall,  with  Reference  to 
his  Settlmt  in  the  office  of  the  ministry  in  Newlondon  which  they  desired 
the  Generall  Court  to  take  order  about  And  the  said  Gurdon  Saltonstall 
having  by  petition  Complained  to  their  General  Court  As  being  Iniured 
and  defamed  by  the  Said  Persons  And  also  laid  before  this  Court  the 
whole  State  of  his  Settlement  in  the  ministry  at  Newlondon,  by  pre- 
senting the  votes  of  Said  town  relating  thereunto,  and  prayed  the 
Judgmt  of  this  Court  thereupon.  The  Court  in  Compliance  with  those 
Requests  Having  given  opportunitye  to  the  Said  persons  to  offer  (in  the 
Said  premises)  what  they  See  cause  Bee  Soe  good  to  declare;  And  doe 
hereby  declare  that  the  Said  Mr.  Gurdon  Saltonstall  free  from  [illegible] 
those  Iniurious  and  wrongs  Charged  upon  him  in  the  Said  paper:  And 
undeserving  of  the  Same.  And  doe  approve  of  the  votes  of  the  towne 
of  Newlondon  Relating  to  the  a  foresaid  Settlement  of  the  Reverent 
Mr.  Gurdon  Saltonstall  as  agreeable  to  the  Lawes  of  this  Colonie: 

passd  in  the  lower  house 

attester  Eleazer  Stent  Clerk 

Past  in  the  upper  house  October  14,  1700 
Test  Eleazar  Kimberly  Secery 
(Conn.  Ecclesiastical  Doc,  No.  150.      Also  see  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  4:338). 

It  will  be  remembered  that  this  remonstrance  was  closely- 
related  to  the  agitation  for  a  separate  church  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river,  a  movement  that  was  begun  in  1678  by  James'  Avery, 
as  recorded  on  page  69  of  this  volume.  The  remonstrance  quickly 
forced  the  issue  and  ended  in  the  ecclesiastical  independence  de- 
sired. In  1702,  the  town  voted  that  the  people  east  of  the  river 
should  be  permitted  to  organize  a  church  and  to  have  a  minister  of 
their  own.  The  minister  was  to  have  a  salary  of  seventy  pounds 
a  year  and  the  meeting-house  was  to  be  thirty-five  feet  square — all 
at  the  joint  expense  of  the  two  sides.  The  Rev.  Ephraim  Wood- 
bridge  was  ordained  as  the  first  minister  of  the  new  church,  Nov- 
ember 8,  1704.  A  few  months  later  (February  20,  1704  05)  the 
inhabitants  of  the  west  side  amicably  consented  that  the  people  of 
the  east  side  be  released  from  watch  and  ward  and  left  to  their  own 
management  as  a  separate  town.  That  year,  the  general  court 
passed  an  act  incorporating  the  town  of  Groton;  the  name  was 
that  of  the  ancestral  home  of  the  Winthrops  in  Suffolk,  England. 
This  new  Groton  had  an  area  of  about  seventy-two  square  miles  of 
farms,  forests,  and  waste  lands  with  nothing  like  a  hamlet. 


Avery  airectea  tne  paymenr  oi  v 


100  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

In  1714,  it  would  seem  that  there  was  a  new  church  building 
in  Groton  and  that  Captain  James'  Avery  was  one  of  the  commit- 
tee to  seat  it.  The  first  names  on  the  list  of  those  in  full  commun- 
ion with  the  church  are  those  of  Captain  James'  Avery  and  his 
wife.  They  lived  at  the  head  of  Poquonock  plain.  He  is  generally 
spoken  of  as  James  Avery,  Jr. 

March  15,  1717,  in  a  deed  of  lands  to  his  oldest  son,  James' 
Avery  directed  the  payment  of  ten  pounds  money  to  each  of  "my 

five  daughters,"  Deborah  Allyn, 
Margaret  Morgan,  Hannah 
Morgan,  Sarah  Latham,  and 
Mary  Morgan.  In  many  deeds, 

Facsimile   Signature  ^^^^^  ^^^^^   ^j^-g    ^j^^    ^^^    ^^^ 

James    Avery 

From  a  deed  dated  March  15. 1717  entered  on  the  books  Until  his 

death,  he  provided  liberally  for  his  sons.  March  15,  1717,  he 
mentioned  sons  James,  Edward,  Ebenezer,  Christopher,  Jonathan, 
Joseph  and  Benjamin,  and  left  each  a  seventh  part  of  his  "arms 
as  guns  and  swords"  also  land  in  "Pawgounck."  (New  London 
Wills,  C:373). 

When  the  Rev.  Thomas  Prince  was  collecting  material  for  his 
History  of  New  England,  he  received  the  following  from  Groton  : 

Groton,  April  22,  1728. 
An  account  of  the  Age,  Death  and  Posterity  of  Capt.  James  Avery. 

He  died  in  the  83d  year  of  his  age,  leaving  12  children  alive,  11  of  whom 
attended  his  funeral  with  their  mother  who  was  in  the  78th  year  of  her 
age.  They  lived  together  in  the  married  state  61  years  and  6  mos. 
Three  score  and  five  of  his  family  attended  his  funeral.  His  children 
living  at  the  time  of  his  death  were  7  sons  and  5  daughters;  the  poster- 
ity arising  from  them  114  souls,  41  grandsons,  14  great  grandsons,  47 
grand  daughters,  12  great  grand  daughters— 114.  {Conn.  Hist.  Society 
Publications,  3:317.) 

The  date  of  this  document  is  not  correct.  James  Avery  Jr.,  died 
August  22,  1728,  at  Groton  {Groton  Records).  Joshua  Hemp- 
stead, in  his  diary  which  has  been  published,  writes  under  date  of 
August  24,  1728:  "Capt.  Ja.  Avery  &  Dea.  Manasseh  Minor  of 
Stonington  both  buried  &  upwards  of  80  years"  (p.  201).  Mrs. 
Deborah  Avery  died  March  27,  1729  {Groton  Records).  Wednes- 
day, March  26,  1729.  "Mrs.  Avery  died  aged  78  years,  widow  of 
Capt.  James"  {Hempstead's  Diary). 


The  Third    Generation 


101 


if 


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u> 


'■J'^Ji  -dd^  IM^Z.^ 


-Chi  '/iW /7>-^-M''-^''^  <^. 


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■^■^ ^.— -/— ^-.— J'-^-'-.^i.^- 


DEED  FROM  JAMES^  AVERY  TO  JAMES^  AVERY. 


10. 

1, 

11. 

ii. 

12. 

iii. 

13. 

iv. 

14. 

V. 

15. 

vi. 

16. 

vii. 

viu 

17. 

ix. 

18. 

X. 

19. 

xi. 

20. 

xii. 

21. 

xiii 

102  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Children  of  James'  and  Deborah  (Stallyon)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

Deborah*,  b.  August  1,  1671. 

James',  b.  April  20,  1673. 

Margarets  b.  Feb.  4,  1674. 

Edward*,  b.  March  20,  1676. 

Ebenezer',  b.  May  1,  1677. 

Christopher',  b.  Jan.  23,  1679. 

Jonathan*,  b.  Nov.  9,  1681. 

Mercy*,  b.    Feb.  4,  1683;  bap.   July  19,  1685,   First  Church  of 

Christ,  Stonington;  d.  y. 
Hannah*,  b.  March  4,  1685. 
Sarah*,  b.  May  10,  1688. 

Joseph*,  bap.  April  17,  1692,  First  Church  of  New  London. 
Mary*,  bap.  July  2,  1693,  First  Church  of  New  London. 
Benjamin*,  b.  1696. 

5.  Marie'  Avery*  {James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Feb.  19,  1648, 
at  Gloucester,  Mass.;  m.  Oct.  23,  1668,  at  New  London,  Conn., 
Joseph  Minor,  s.  of  Thomas  and  Grace  (Palmer)  Minor,  of  Ston- 
ington, Conn.  He  was  bap.  Aug.  25,  1644,  at  Hingham,  Mass. 
He  lived  at  Stonington;  was  a  farmer  and  physician;  freeman, 
1669;  deputy  to  the  general  court,  1696,  1706;  selectman,  1694-98, 
1704,  1709,  1710.  He  served  in  the  King  Philip  war  and  for  his 
services  received  arable  land  and  cedar  swamp  in  Voluntown. 

Thomas  Minor  records  in  his  diary,  March,  1667-8: 

"wensday  the  18,  we  made  an  End  between  Jossepth  &  Marie  Averie. " 
On  the  Stonington  town  books  is  the  following: 

Joseph,  son  of  Thomas  Minor  and  Marie,  daughter  of  James  Averie  of 
New  London,  married  the  23d  of  October  [1668]  by  Lieut.  James 
Averie. 

Joseph  Minor  and  his  wife,  Marie,  were  admitted  to  the 
church  at  Stonington,  April  11,  1675.  She  died  Feb.  2,  1708,  at 
Stonington.  Dec.  7,  1709,  he  married  Bridget  Chesebrough, 
widow  of  William  Thompson,  by  whom  he  had  a  daughter, 
Bridget,  who  was  bap.  in  March,  1711,  and  m.  Nov.  4,  1730,  at 
Stonington,  Jonathan  Chesebrough.  Joseph  Minor  died  Feb.  1, 
1711-2,  at  Stonington.  He  was  buried  beside  his  wife,  Marie,  at 
Taugwonk. 


*  On  the  New  London  record  of  births,  the  name  is  spelled  Mary;  on  the 
later  records,  the  name  is  spelled  Marie. 


The   Third    Generation  103 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Marie  (Avery)  Minor,  b.  at  Stoning- 
ton,  and  bap.  in  the  First  Church  there: 

i.  Joseph',  b.  Sept.  19,  1669;  bap.  April  18,  1675;  m.  June  18,  1700,  at 
Stonington,  Sarah  Tracy;  deputy  to  the  general  court;  selectman; 
d.  Feb.  8,  1739-40,  at  Stonington. 

ii.  Marie%  b.  Oct.  6,  1671;  bap.  April  18,  1675;  m.  Jan.  27,  1692,  at  Ston- 
ington, Elisha  Chesebrough;  d.  Nov.  29,  1704,  at  Stonington. 
Elisha  Chesebrough  was  brother  of  Abigail  Chesebrough  who  mar- 
ried John  Avery  (No.  7),  the  uncle  of  Marie. 

iii.  Mercie',  b.  Aug.  21,  1673;  bap.  April  18,  1675;  m.  Dec.  20,  1696,  at 
Preston,  Francis  West;  they  moved  to  Tolland,  Conn.,  where  he 
was  a  large  land  owner,  first  deacon  of  the  church  and  selectman, 
1720,  1722.     They  both  died  at  Tolland. 

iv.  Benjamin*,  bap.  June  25,  1676;  m.  Nov.  15,  1697,  at  Stonington,  Mary 
Saxton;  d.  Feb.  28,  1710,  at  Stonington. 

V.  Sarah',  bap.  March  30,  1679;  m.  May  21,  1706,  Nathaniel  Tracy, 
brother  of  Sarah  who  m.  Joseph  Minor  as  recorded  above.  She  d. 
Nov.  24,  1753,  at  Preston  and  is  buried  with  her  husband  in  the 
"Old  Palmer  burying  ground."     He  d.  March  12,  1751,  at  Preston. 

vi.  Joanna',  b.  Dec.  12,  1680  (Minor's  Diary);  bap.  March  13,  1681;  m. 
Stephen  Richardson;  admitted  to  First  Church  of  Stonington,  April 
26,  1702;  d.  Jan.  15,  1726  {tombstone). 

vii.  Christopher',  b.  Dec.  28,  1683  {Minor's  Diary);  bap.  June  13,  1684; 
m.  March  9,  1704,  MaryLaye;  d.  before  April  12,  1709,  at  Stoning- 
ton, at  which  time  his  brother,  Joseph,  administered  his  estate. 
{Neiv  London  Probate  Court  Journal.,  1:80.) 

viii.  Prudence^  bap.  May  6,  1688;  m.  Feb.  17,  1707,  at  Stonington,  Joseph 
Denison;  d.  May  26,  1726,  at  Stonington. 

6.  Thomas''  Avery  {James',  Christopher')  was  b.  May  6,  1651, 
at  New  London,  Conn. ;  m.  Oct.  22,  1677,  at  Stonington,  Hannah 
Minor,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Thomas  and  Grace  (Palmer)  Minor.  She 
was  b.  Sept.  15,  1655,  at  Stonington;  d.  about  1692.  He  m.,  2d, 
March  13,  1693,  at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  Mrs.  Hannah  (Raymond) 
Bulkley,  dau.  of  Joshua  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Raymond,  and 
widow  of  Dr.  Charles  Bulkley.  She  was  b.  Aug.  8,  1668,  at  Nor- 
wich, Conn. 

Wethersfield,  March  13,  [1693] 
This  may  certify  whome  it  may  concerne  that  Mr.  Thomas  Avery  &  Mrs. 
Hannah  Bulkley  both  of  New  London  in  their  Majesties  Colony  of  Conn 
in  New  England  married  at  Weathersfield,  afor'sd  on  the  said  day  of 
the  date  of  these  presents 

By  or  before  me— 

John  Chester 

Justice  of  Peace. 


104  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Thomas'  Avery  may  have  lived  for  a  short  time  at  Stonington, 
but  most  of  his  life  was  spent  at  New  London,  first  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river  in  what  is  now  Groton,  and  later  in  the  North 
Parish,  now  called  Montville.  May  12,  1681,  he  was  made  a  free- 
man of  New  London;  May,  1693,  he  was  commissioned  captain  of 
the  train  band  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  New  London;  in  1694, 
he  was  deputy  to  the  general  court. 

It  is  evident  that  James"  Avery  and  Thomas  Minor  had  a  clear 
understanding  concerning  the  marriage  portions  to  be  given  to 
their  children.  On  the  twenty-sixth  of  December,  1677,  Captain 
James  Avery  and  his  wife,  Joanna,  executed  a  deed  which  was 
owned  and  subscribed  before  Thomas  Minor  as  commissioner. 
The  deed  ran  as  follows: 

This  prsnt  writing  witnesseth  to  all  it  doe  or  may  conceme  that  I  James 
Avery  of  the  county  of  New  London,  in  ye  Collony  of  Connecticott  for 
divers  good  reasons  &  considerations  known  to  myself  and  with  my 
wife  Joane  Avery's  consent  fully  give  to  my  sonn  Thomas  Avery 
and  his  wife  Hannah  Avery  my  whole  right  of  my  parcell  of  land  that 
I  bought  of  Amos  Richardson  of  Stonington  be  it  more  or  less  wh  for- 
merly was  laide  out  and  bounded  to  Mr.  Obadiah  Bruen  of  New  London 
and  also  thirtie  acres  of  upland  upon  Poquanys  Plaine  as  it  was  formerly 
bounded  to  me  from  the  swamp  to  the  river,  moreover  one  half e  of  one 
hundred  acres  of  upland  and  meadow  as  it  was  carried  out  and  bounded 
and  recorded  to  me  at  Pachauge  next  to  Mr.  Thomas  Stanton,  sen., 
his  land.  Also  a  piece  of  land  joyning  to  Mr.  Nehemiah  Smith  his 
playne  lying  betwixt  Nehemiah  Smiths  land  &  ye  comon  I  say  all  and 
every  of  these  tracts  and  parcels  of  Land  I  doe  give  grant  pass  over 
alyeanate  &  confirm  all  my  whole  right  and  title  to  my  sonn  Thomas 
Avery  &  his  wife  Hannah  Avery  with  all  the  privilledges  &  appur- 
tenances to  them  belonging  to  them  their  heirs,  executors  and  assigns 
forever  to  have  &  to  hold  possess  &  enjoy  to  use  &  improve  for  their 
best  advatage  provided  that  if  either  he  or  she  shall  have  occasion  to 
sell  any  one  or  more  of  these  particular  tracts  or  parcells  of  land  they 
shall  first  make  tender  of  it  to  the  said  Thomas  Avery's  Brothers  and 
if  they  accept  of  the  profer  to  give  a  rational  price  for  it  to  sell  it  to 
no  other  person  I  doe  hereby  bind  my  other  sonnes  to  make  him  or  her 
the  like  tender  upon  the  same  terms  and  to  the  true  performance  of 
and  to  every  particular  hereof  we  set  our  hands  &  seals  this  26th  of 
December,  1677. 

Signed  sealed  and  delivered 
in  the  the  presence  of  James  Avery 

William  Mead  Joane  Avery 

Jonathan  Avery 
{New  London  Deeds. ) 


The    Third    Generation  105 

Thomas  Minor  and  Grace  his  wife  had  already  deeded,  Dec. 
17,  1677,  150  acres  of  land  to  their  daughter  Hannah  and  her 
husband,  Thomas  Avery: 

To  daughter  Hannah  Avery,  during  her  natural  life  and  to  her  husband 
Thomas  Avery  during  his  natural  life  although  my  said  daughter 
should  die  before  him  and  in  case  my  daughter  shall  have  any  child  or 
children  at  the  time  of  her  departure  then  living  it  shall  be  theirs  for- 
ever to  have  and  to  hold  possess  and  enjoy  to  use  and  improve  with  all 
the  meadows  joining  to  it,  I  say  all  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
upland  and  meadow  as  it  was  laid  out  to  me  with  all  the  privileges  & 
appurtenances  belonging  thereunto.  And  in  case  my  daughter  should 
die  without  any  child  than  she  shall  have  by  deed  full  power  to  dispose 
of  it  to  any  one  or  two  of  my  son  Clement  Minor,  his  sonnes  as  she 
shall  see  meet  Provided  it  shall  not  prevent  her  husband  of  it  during 
his  natural  life  if  she  die  before  her  husband.  I  say  my  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  upland  and  meadow  lying  at  Anagomenacunuck  as  it 
was  laid  out  to  me  and  bounded  and  recorded  at  Hartford  and  in  Ston- 
ington  books  of  records.  And  hereinto  we  set  our  hands  and  seals  this 
seventeenth  day  of  December  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy 
and  seven. 
Witness 

James  Noyes  Thomas  Minor 

Samuel  Avery  Grace  Minor 

Acknowledged  before  James  Avery  Commissioner. 
{New  London  Deeds,  5:3Jt) 

Thomas  Avery  probably  built  upon  one  of  these  plots  of  land, 
as  the  following  would  indicate: 

March,  1667-8.     "the  23.     Thomas  Averys  house  was  raysed. " 
June,  1668.     Tuesday  25,  Hannah  went  to  her  owne  house. ' ' 

{Minor's  Diary.) 

Thomas'  Avery  received  his  share  of  his  grandfather's  estate 
by  deed  from  his  father,  James  Avery,  April  1,  1685,  and  three 
weeks  later  sold  it  to  his  brother,  Samuel.  He  also  owned  other 
land  in  New  London.  He  was  in  the  King  Philip  war  of  1675, 
and,  for  his  services,  had  lot  No.  10  of  arable  land  and  lot  No.  154 
of  cedar  swamp  allotted  to  him  in  Voluntown.  He  was  in  the  ill- 
fated  Fitz-John  Winthrop  expedition  of  1690  which  was  to  advance 
from  Albany  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain  to  Montreal.  In  his 
diary,  Winthrop  gives  an  account  of  the  difficulties  that  they  en- 
countered. Under  the  date  of  Aug.  4,  1690,  is  found  the  follow- 
ing : 

'  'I  consulted  with  the  oflftcers  &  twas  concluded  to  march  forwards,  &  then 
devided  our  provition,  wch  was  about  35  cakes  of  bread  for  each  souldr. 


106 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


X 
u 

« 
o 
z 

o 

G 
< 
O 

K 
H 

2 

O 

H 

►J 
J 

> 

Eh 

Z 

o 
S 

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< 

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CO 

D 
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b: 
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M 

o 

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h 


The   Third    Generation  107 

besides  pork,  which  was  scarce  eateable.  At  this  post  [Saratoga]  I 
left  Liut  The.  Avery  with  some  souldrs  to  gaurd  our  provition  to  us 
wch  was  coming  vp  the  river"  {The  Winthrop  Papers,  Massachusetts 
Hist.  Col.,  Fifth  Series,  8:3U). 

For  an  account  of  this  expedition,   see  Avery's  History  of  the 
United  States  and  Its  People,  vol.  3,  pages  263,  264. 

The  latter  part  of  his  life  he  lived  near  the  Mohegan  Indian 
reservation.  On  the  22d  of  June,  1720,  Capt.  Thomas  Avery 
and  his  brother  Capt.  James  Avery  were  appointed  interpreters 
for  the  Mohegans  in  a  suit  then  pending  before  the  governor  and 
council.  In  1721,  Caezer,  the  sachem  of  the  Mohegans,  conveyed 
to  Thomas  Avery  160  acres  of  land  in  consideration  of  the  kind- 
ness shown  them  by  Captain  Avery  and  his  family.  Upon  this 
land  Thomas  Avery  lived;  the  house  he  built  there  is  still  standing. 
About  ten  years  before  his  death,  in  consideration  of  love  and 
good  will  and  on  account  of  the  infirmities  of  age,  he  conveyed 
this  land  to  his  son,  Abraham. 

The  last  entry  of  accessions  to  the  church  of  New  London 
during  Mr.  Bradstreet's  ministry  reads:  "Sept.  10,  1682,  Thomas 
Avery  and  wife  were  added  to  the  Church."  They  were  among 
the  organizers  of  the  church  of  the  North  Parish,  afterward 
called  Montville.  Their  names  appear  first  on  the  list  of  original 
covenanters.  Before  the  North  Parish  could  enjoy  religious  ser- 
vices, a  long-standing  quarrel  had  to  be  settled.  October,  1721, 
the  parish  petitioned  the  general  court  for  liberty  to  form  a  sepa- 
rate church.  The  first  name  on  the  petition  was  that  of  Thomas' 
Avery,  the  third  was  that  of  Abraham'  Avery.  (Connecticut 
Ecclesiastical  Archives,  2:251.)  Finally,  Jan.  17,  1721,  it  was  agreed 

that  the  meeting-house 
should  stand  on  Raymond 
Hill,  land  being  given  for 
the  purpose.    In  his  church 

Facsimile  Signature  ~  reCOrd,       Mr.       JameS      Hill- 

Ecclesiastical  Archives.  Hartford.  2:252  j^Q^gg^     ^^^    ^^g^   minister, 

says : 

"I  was  installed  October  the  3d  day,  1722. 

Mr.  Adams  preached  from  Acts  16:9.  There  were  seven  that  belonged  to 
the  Church  at  my  installment— Capt.  Avery,  Capt.  Denison,  Mr.  Nathl 
Otis,  Mr.  Allen,  Mr.  Vibber,  Charles  Campbell  and  one  Deacon." 

Thomas'  Avery  died  at  Montville,  Jan.  5,  1736.  His  widow 
died  Jan.  28,  1742,  at  Norwich. 


X'^^yUpPtiyiS  (4?i 


108  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

It  has  been  found  very  difficult  to  arrange  the  record  of  the 
children  of  Thomas  Avery  by  his  two  wives.  Thomas  Minor  died 
Oct.  23,  1690.     The  following  items  are  taken  from  his  diary: 

1655,  Oct.     "Satterday  the  15  my  wife  was  delivered  of  hana" 
"Tho:  Averie  and  Hanah  Minor  was  maried  the  22  of  October  1677." 

1679,  April.     "20  day  Hanah  son  was  borne." 

1680,  Nov.     "Monday  the  15.  hanahs  second  sonn  was  borne." 
The  second  of  October  1682  Tho:  Averys  daughter  was  borne." 
1684,  Aug.     "Tusday  the  12,  Thomas  Avery  his  childe  was  buried." 
Hanah  Avery  her  children. 

Tho  Avery 
Samuell  Avery 
Ephraim  Avery 
Hanah  Avery." 

This  last  item  has  no  date  but  must  have  been  written  shortly  be- 
fore his  death.  The  births  of  Thomas  and  Samuel  are  recorded  on 
the  New  London  town-books.  The  baptisms  of  Thomas,  Samuel, 
Abraham,  Joshua,  and  a  "child"  (Oct.  25,  1704)  are  recorded  on 
on  the  books  of  the  First  Church  of  New  London;  the  baptisms  of 
Hannah  and  Ephraim  are  found  on  the  books  of  the  First  Church 
of  Stonington;  those  of  Charles,  Isaac  and  Peter  appear  on  the 
books  of  the  First  Church  of  Norwich.  Mr,  Baker,  in  his  history 
of  Montville,  says  that  Jonathan  was  b.  Dec.  9,  1691,  but  he  was 
not  able  to  give  any  satisfactory  authority  for  that  statement  and 
it  is  hardly  possible  that  Jonathan  could  have  been  born  in  Decem- 
ber, 1691,  and  Abraham  baptized  March  6,  1692. 

Dec.  2,  1736,  Samuel  Avery,  Abraham  Avery  and  Hannah 
(Avery)  Minor  seem  to  be  the  only  surviving  children  of  Thomas' 
and  Hannah  (Minor)  Avery.  At  that  time,  in  connection  with 
Thomas  Minor,  the  husband  of  Hannah  (Avery)  Minor,  they  sold 
the  150  acres  of  land  that  came  to  them  from  their  honored  grand- 
father and  his  wife,  Grace.  This  land  had  been  given  by  Thomas 
Minor  and  his  wife,  Grace,  to  his  daughter,  Hannah  Minor  Avery, 
and  her  husband  Thomas'  Avery  for  their  life.  When  both  were 
dead,  the  land  was  to  revert  to  Hannah  Minor  Avery's  surviving 
children.  (See  deed,  p.  105).  The  children,  Ephraim  and  Thomas, 
were  dead.  Samuel,  Abraham  and  Hannah,  as  heirs-at-law,  sold 
the  land.  Jonathan  Avery  was,  at  this  time,  very  much  alive,  but 
he  did  not  join  in  the  sale.  It  seems  improbable  that  he  was  the 
son  of  Hannah  (Minor)  Avery.     {Preston  Land  Rec,  5:7.) 

Thomas'  Avery  had  a  daughter  Mary  by  his  second  wife  Han- 
nah Raymond.     Mary  (Smith)  Raymond,  widow  of  Samuel  Ray- 


The   Third   Generation  109 

mond,  and  daughter  of  Nehemiah  Smith,  made  a  will  May  8,  1705. 
This  was  probated  at  New  London.  She  mentioned  cousin  Han- 
nah Avery,  Elizabeth  Avery,  daughter  of  cousin  Martha  Ransford 
deceased,  and  cousin  Mary  Avery.  She  was  the  aunt  of  Hannah 
Raymond  Avery.  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Raymond)  Avery  proba- 
bly had  a  daughter  Elizabeth,  as  an  Elizabeth  Avery  was  married 
to  Sylvester  Baldwin,  at  Montville,  May  9,  1724,  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hillhouse. 

For  these  reasons,  we  give  the  names  of  the  children  as  be- 
low: 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Minor)  Avery  : 

22.  i.      Thomas',  b.  April  20,  1679. 

23.  ii.     Samuel  ,  b.  Nov.  15,  1680. 

iii.  A  Daughter',  b.  Oct.  2,  1682;  bu.  Aug.  12,  1684  {Minor's  Diary). 

24.  iv.  Ephraim',  bap.  Oct.  18,  1685. 

25.  V.  Hannah',  b.  May  4,  1686. 

26.  vi.  Abraham',  bap.  March  6,  1691-2. 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Raymond-Bulkley)  Avery: 

27.  i.  Joshua',  bap.  Aug.  25,  1695. 

28.  ii.  Mary', 

29.  iii.  Elizabeth'. 

30.  iv.  Jonathan',  bap.  Oct.  25,  1704  (?). 

31.  V.  Charles',  bap.  Oct.  27,  1706. 

32.  vi.  Isaac',  bap.  July  17,  1709. 

33.  vii.  Peter',  bap.  Aug.  5,  1711;  nothing  further  known. 

7.  John*  Avery  {James'  Christopher^)  was  b.  February  10, 
1654,  at  New  London,  Conn.;  m.  Nov.  29,  1675,  at  Stonington, 
Abigail  Chesebrough,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  Chesebrough  of 
Stonington,  Conn.  The  marriage  is  recorded  both  at  Stonington 
and  New  London.  She  was  b.  at  Stonington,  Sept.  30,  1656.  We 
are  not  able  to  give  the  date  of  his  death,  but  he  deeded  land  to 
his  son  Nathaniel,  April  17,  1724.  His  wife  was  living  as  late  as 
Jan.  5,  1713-14.  At  that  date,  Abigail  Chesebrough,  relict  of 
Samuel  Chesebrough,  but  now  Abigail  Avery  (No.  2),  made  a 
deposition  relating  to  a  gift  of  land  by  Samuel  Chesebrough  to 
"my  daughter,  Abigail  Chesebrough,  now  Abigail  Avery." 

John'  Avery  was  an  extensive  land  owner,  holding,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  place  upon  which  he  lived,  land  in  several  other  towns. 
February  16,  1688,  Capt.  James'  Avery,  "out  of  love,"  gave  to 
his  son,  John"  Avery,   the  land  that  he  had  bought  of  Thomas 


110  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Hungerford  at  the  head  of  "poqeuannock  plaine, "  also  the  land 
that  was  originally  Jacob  Waterhouse's;  also  a  parcel  of  meadow 
on  a  brook  commonly  called  Stony  Brook;  and  "all  that  meadow 
each  side  that  I  bought  of  William  Meader."  {New  London 
Deeds.)  John'  Avery  probably  lived  and  died  upon  the  farm  at 
the  head  of  Poquonock  Plain,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  each  of  his 
brothers  received  land  from  his  father.  April  23,  1685,  he  sold 
the  land  that  was  given  him  by  his  father  and  that  was  his  honor- 
ed grandfather's  to  his  brother  Samuel.  July  6,  1691,  he  sold  the 
land  and  dwelling  on  the  Pawtucket  river  that  came  from  his 
wife's  father,  Samuel  Chesebrough.  August  3,  1691,  he  bought 
200  acres  in  Preston  of  John  Plumb.  January  1,  1695,  he  bought 
100  acres  bounded  north  by  Pachauge,  of  John  Morgan.  May  29, 
1702,  he,  in  connection  with  the  other  proprietors  of  Preston,  of 
whom  his  brother  James  was  one,  sold  300  acres  of  land  in  Pres- 
ton, commonly  called  Pachauge.  May  11,  1709,  he  sold  to  John 
Benit  land  that  had  formerly  belonged  to  his  wife's  father.  In 
1710,  he  bought,  of  John  Plume,  for  twenty-eight  pounds,  land  in 
Preston  Farms,  and  other  land  of  John  Morgan  for  eight  pounds 
in  hand  and  eleven  pounds  well  secured.  In  1700,  he  was  one  of 
the  original  proprietors  of  Lebanon,  and  May  10,  1705,  the  general 
court  confirmed  him  and  his  associates  in  possession  of  lands  in 
that  town.  Beginning  with  1705,  when  his  oldest  son  married,  he 
deeded  land  with  a  free  and  open  hand  "out  of  love"  to  his  sons 
for  their  livelihood.  In  the  allotment  of  public  lands,  January  31, 
1712,  he  calls  himself  a  carpenter.  In  1715,  he  was  given  lot  No. 
57  of  the  common  land. 

John  ■  Avery  became  a  freeman  of  New  London,  May  12,  1681. 
His  name  appears  on  the  patent  for  New  London,  Oct.  14,  1704. 
In  the  list  of  the  inhabitants  of  Groton  in  1708  and  1712  are  found 
the  names  of  Capt.  John'  Avery  and  his  son,  John  Avery. 

Capt.  John'  Avery  was  townsman  of  Groton,  1706.  He  was 
chosen  with  his  brother,  James,  member  of  a  committee  to  lay  out 
100  acres  of  land  to  Mr.  Woodbridge,  July  15,  1708.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  church  of  Groton,  Nov.  22,  1727;  as  his  wife  is  not 
mentioned,  it  is  probable  that  she  was  then  dead. 

In  the  general  court,  Hartford,  May  12,  1692,  it  was  recorded 
that 

"This  Court  doe  not  sea  reason  to  confirm  those  nominated  for  officers  on 
the  east  side  of  the  riuer  at  New  London,  at  present,  but  doe  appoynt 


The   Third   Generation  111 

Capt.  James  Aurey  to  be  Captn  of  sayd  Company,  and  James  Moi'jjan 
Lnt,  and  John  Aurey  to  be  Ensign  of  sayd  Company  untill  the  Honour- 
ed Major  Generall  and  Mr.  Witherell  shall  see  cause  to  lead  them  to  a 
new  choyse  of  officers.     {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  U:7U-) 

The  record  of  the  general  court  of  May  11,  for  the  following 
year  has: 

"Thomas  Aurey  is  approued  to  be  Captn  of  the  traine  band  of  New  London 
on  the  east  side  of  the  riuer,  and  John  Morgan  Lnt.,  and  John  Aurey 
Ensigne.  of  sayd  Company  and  are  to  be  commissionated  accordingly." 
{Conn.  Col.  Rec,  4  : H.) 

From  a  similar  record  of  the  general  court.  May  13,  1697,  we 
learn  that 

"John  Aurey  [was]  appointed  Captain  of  the  train  band  at  New  London 
on  the  east  side  of  the  riuer."     (Conn.  Col.  Rec,  4.: 212.) 

For  his  services  in  the  Narragansett  war,  John  Avery  received 
lots  in  Voluntown,  No.  9  for  arable  land  and  No.  76  for  cedar 
swamp. 

The  accompanying  autograph  of  John '  Avery  is  copied  from  a 
deed  made  by  his  brother,  James  Avery.  The  deed  was  acknowl- 
edged June  10,  1717,  before  Willi- 

/f ^P         /I       P/wlf      ^"^  Clarke,  a  justice  of  the  peace 

U^^niTly  CVV^'U  in  New  London,  witnessed  by 
y^/  ^        John  Avery  and  Samuel  Avery, 

entered  on  the  Groton  records, 
August  27,  1728,  by  Christopher  Avery  (No.  47),  recorder.  The 
document  is  now,  1907,  in  the  possession  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Miner 
Avery  of  Groton. 

The  names  of  the  children  of  Capt.  John  Avery  have  been  ar- 
ranged as  below  for  the  following  reasons: 

The  first  four  are  recorded  by  name  in  the  list  of  baptisms  of 
the  First  Church  of  New  London.  From  1683  until  1692  there  is 
a  break  in  the  records  of  the  church.  In  1692,  (June  19) ,  Capt. 
John'  Avery  presented  four  children  for  baptism;  unfortunately 
their  names  are  not  given.  They  probably  were  Nathaniel,  Joseph, 
William,  and  Anna.  The  Rev.  David  Avery  (No.  511)  mentions 
these  children  of  Capt.  John '  Avery  repeatedly  and  always  places 
them  in  this  order.  He  says  several  times  that  William  and  Anna 
were  twins;  we  know  from  William's  tombstone  that  he  was  born 
about  1692.    We  know  that  Joseph  was  married,  had  two  children, 


112  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

and  was  dead  by  1714,  as  will  be  shown  later.  Elisha,  Desire,  and 
Daniel  were  baptized  at  New  London.  Three  children  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Sweet  still  remain  unaccounted  for.  Mr.  Sweet  did  not 
have  David  Avery  to  guide  or  to  correct  his  surmises.  David 
Avery  nowhere  mentions  the  Benjamin,  Elizabeth,  or  Josiah  given 
by  Mr.  Sweet.  It  will  be  shown  that  this  Josiah  belongs  to  an- 
other family  and  there  is  no  evidence  to  show  that  Benjamin  or 
Elizabeth  ever  existed.  Upon  the  town  records  of  New  London, 
the  date  of  the  birth  of  Elizabeth  Keeney,  daughter  of  John,  is 
given  as  Oct.  27,  1690,  the  date  that  Mr.  Sweet  gives  for  the  birth 
of  Elizabeth  Avery,  but  no  Elizabeth  Avery  is  there  recorded.  It 
is  possible  that  the  copyist  employed  by  Mr.  Sweet  made  a  mis- 
take. That  leaves  one  child— Thomas,  whom,  in  his  list  of  Capt. 
John'  Avery's  children,  David  Avery  mentions  once: 

"John,   Nathaniel,  Joseph,  William,   Elisha,   Daniel,  Thomas;  daus.,  Abi- 
gail, Mary,  Anna,  Desire." 

For  these  reasons  and  others  that  will  be  given  later,  we  have  ar- 
ranged the  list  as  printed  here. 

Children  of  Capt.  John  and  Abigail  (Chesebrough)  Avery, 
all  born  on  the  east  side  of  river  at  New  London  and  all  but 
Thomas  bap.  at  the  First  Church  of  New  London: 

i.         Abigail%  b.  Jan.  15,  1676-7;  bap.  May  13,  1677;  d.  July  18,  1677, 

at  New  London. 
Abigails  b.  Jan.  18,  1679. 
Mary*,  bap.  Nov.  14,  1680. 
John*,  bap.  April  1,  1683. 
Nathaniel*,  bap.  June  19,  1692. 
Joseph*,  bap.  June  19,  1692. 
William*,  bap.  June  19,  1692. 
Anna*,  (twin  to  William),  bap.  June  19,  1692. 
Elisha*,  bap.  May  9,  1697. 
Desire*,  bap.  May  9,  1697. 
Daniel*,  bap.  Nov.  5,  1699. 
Thomas*,  mentioned  once  by  David  Avery  in  his  list  of  John's 

children;  no  further  record.     He  may  have  been  baptized  in 

the  church  established  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  in  1704. 

Capt.  John  Avery  and  wife  belonged  to  this  church  the  early 

records  of  which  are  lost. 

8.  Rebecca^  Avery  (James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Oct.  6,  1656, 
at  New  London,  Conn. ;  m.  Aug.  5,  1678,  at  New  London,  Mr. 
William  Potts,  of  New  Castle,  England,  a  constable.     Minor,  in 


34. 

n. 

35. 

iii. 

36. 

iv. 

37. 

V. 

38. 

vi. 

39. 

vii. 

40. 

viii 

41. 

ix. 

42. 

X. 

43. 

xi. 

44. 

xii. 

The   Third    Generation  113 

his  diary,  records:  "The  5th  day  of  Agust,  1678,  wilHam  pots  and 
Rebeckah  Avery  was  maried."  Mr.  Potts  was  one  of  the  Narra- 
gansett  volunteers  and  received  land  in  Voluntown  for  his  services. 
His  name  appears  on  the  list  of  freemen  in  Groton  in  1708  and 
1711.  He  was  surveyor  of  highways  in  1705.  He  and  his  wife 
were  members  of  the  First  Church  of  Groton  '  at  the  ordination, ' ' 
Nov.  22,  1727. 

Sept.  19,  1717,  Capt.  James  Avery,  Capt.  Thomas  Avery, 
Capt.  John  Avery,  and  Samuel  Avery,  "out  of  love,"  deeded  land 
to  their  sister  Rebecca  Potts,  and  to  her  husband,  William  Potts 
{Groton  Deeds,  1:830).  Jan.  4,  1727,  William  and  Rebecca  Potts 
deeded  land  to  their  loving  son-in-law,  Joshua  Bill,  husband  of 
their  daughter,  Joanna,  deceased  and  to  their  heirs.  They  re- 
served the  right  to  cut  firewood  on  this  land  during  their  natural 
lives  {Groton  Deeds,  2:297). 

April  24,  1729,  Humphrey  Avery  spoke  of  William  Potts, '  'late 
of  Groton;"  Mr.  Potts  probably  died  about  this  time.  According 
to  the  Voluntown  records,  land  was  confirmed  to  his  heirs  in  1730. 
April  8,  1732,  Joshua  Bill,  jun.,  sold  land  that  was  his  honored 
father's,  William  Potts  deceased  {Groton  Deeds,  3:63,64). 

No  baptisms  are  recorded  in  the  First  Church  of  New  London 
from  1684  to  1691.  During  this  period,  William  and  Rebecca 
Potts  undoubtedly  had  a  son  Jonathan.  This  Jonathan  m.  Mary 
Geer,  Nov.  10,  1713,  at  Groton.  They  had  Mary,  Abigail,  Rebecca, 
William,  Joanna,  Elizabeth — the  last  four  names  are  suggestive. 
Jonathan  was  living  at  Smithfield,  Penn.,  in  1742  {Groton  Land 
Records,  2:411). 

William  and  Rebecca  Potts  may  have  had  a  daughter  Mary. 
A  Mary  Potts  m.  Jan.  1,  1718,  at  New  London,  Jonathan  Daniels, 
son  of  John  and  Mary  (Chappell)  Daniels,  b.  Oct.  15,  1682,  and  had 
a  son  William  the  next  year. 

Children  of  William  and  Rebecca  (Avery)  Potts  : 

i.  JoANNA%  b.  May  20,  1679,  at  New  London;  bap.  June  29,  1679,  at  the 
First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  Nov.  1,  1699,  at  Groton,  Joshua 
Bill;  d.  Nov.  3,  1718,  at  Groton. 

ii.  WlLLlAM%  b.  March  13,  1680,  at  New  London;  bap.  April  17,  1681,  at 
the  First  Church  of  New  London;  no  further  information. 

iii.  Patience*,  bap.  Aug.  12,  1683,  at  the  First  Church  of  New  Lon- 
don; m.  1st,  Dec.  11,  1700,  at  Groton,  Joseph  Pendleton,  who  had 
previously  married  her  cousin,   Deborah  Minor  (No.  3,  ix).     He  d. 


114  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Sept.  18,    1706,  at  Westerly,  R.  I.      She   m.  2d,  April  28,  1707,  at 

Groton,  Samuel  Rogers, 
iv.     Jonathan',  b.         ;  m.  Nov.  10,  1713,  Mary  Geer, 
V.     Hannah^,  bap.  May  5,  1695,  at  New  London. 
vi.     Abigail^,  bap.  May  5,  1695,  at  New  London, 
vii.    Mary',   (?)  m.  Jan.  1,  1718,  at  New  London,  Jonathan  Daniels. 

9.  Samuel"  Avery  {James,-  Christopher^)  wasb.  Aug.  14,  1664, 
at  New  London,  Conn.;  m.  Oct.  25,  1686,  at  Swanzey,  Mass., 
Susannah  Palmes,  dau.  of  William  and  Ann  (Humphrey)  Palmes. 
She  was  b.  about  1665,  and  was  of  royal  lineage.     (See  Appendix. ) 

Like  his  three  brothers,  Samuel  Avery  was  an  extensive  land 
owner.  He  bought  the  rights  of  his  brothers,  Thomas  and  John, 
in  their  grandfather's  land  on  the  General  Neck,  in  1685.  In 
1693,  he  received  from  his  father,  James'  Avery,  the  homestead 
farm  on  which  his  father  was  then  living.  (See  p.  73. )  Uncas, 
the  Indian  chief,  deeded  to  him  several  hundred  acres  of  land,  the 
consideration  being  an  Indian  woman,  Betty,  who  was  one  of  the 
captives  taken  by  James'  Avery  in  the  King  Philip  war.  Samuel 
Avery  spent  most  of  his  life  on  his  farm  in  Groton  and  there  his 
children  were  born.  He  calls  himself  husbandman  and  merchant. 
He  early  took  a  leading  part  in  Groton  affairs.  In  December, 
1705,  he  and  his  brother  James  were  members  of  a  committee  to 
make  up  the  accounts  with  New  London.  Upon  the  legal  organi- 
zation of  the  town,  December  1,  1705,  he  was  made  first  townsman 
and  moderator;  he  held  that  office  until  his  death.  He  was  one  of 
the  committee  authorized  in  1706  to  sell  two  hundred  acres  of  the 
town's  land  to  pay  its  debts.  When  the  schoolmaster  was  engaged. 
May  28,  1706,  to  teach  the  children  in  the  different  houses  until  the 
school-house  was  built,  he  was  to  teach  first  in  Mr.  Samuel  Avery's 
house.  April  12,  1710,  Samuel  Avery  was  one  of  the  commission 
to  allot  lands.  March  20,  1715-16,  he  was  a  member  of  a  com- 
mittee to  seat  the  meeting-house.  He  was  town  clerk  from  1718 
until  his  death,  and  justice  of  the  peace  from  1719  to  1722  inclusive. 
In  the  division  of  the  Nawayunk  (Noank)  lands,  he  received  lot 

No.  35. 

He  also  took  an  important  part  in  the  affairs  of  state,  being 
deputy  to  the  general  court  from  New  London  in  1693,  and  from 
Groton  in  1709,  1716,  1718,  and  1719.  He  possessed  the  same  mili- 
tary spirit  as  his  brothers,  being  commissioned  ensign  by  the 
general  court  in  May,  1705,  lieutenant  in  May,  1710,  and  captain 
in  May,  1716. 


^ 


The  Third    Generation  115 

May  15,  1717,  he  was  witness  to  a  deed  given  by  his  father  to 

his  brother  James.     The  accom- 
y^  panying  facsimile  is  copied  from 

^^^h^yVU,^^   ClAr^Sy^  that  document. 

y  Samuel  Avery,  the  youngest 
of  four  brothers,  was  the  first  of 
them  to  die,  May  1,  1723.  He  was  buried  in  Ledyard,  then  the 
northern  part  of  Groton.  His  widow,  Susannah  Avery,  was  in 
full  communion  ''at  the  ordination"  of  the  First  Church  of  Gro- 
ton, Nov.  22,  1727.     She  died  Oct.  2,  1747,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Susannah  (Palmes)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

i.        Samuel*,  b.  Aug.  11,  1687;  bap.  March  13,  1691,     First  Church 
of  New  London;  d.  Aug.  7,  1714,  at  Groton;  unm. 

Jonathan^  b.  Jan.  18,  1689. 

WiLLiAM\  b.  Aug.   25,  1692;  bap.  Oct.  30,    1692,  First  Church 
of  New  London;  d.  Feb.  20,  1718;  unm. 

Mary',  b.  Jan.  10,  1695. 

CHRrsTOPHER^  b.  Feb.  10,  1697.  ^ 

Humphrey\  b.  July  4,  1699. 

Nathan*,  b.  Jan.  30,  1702. 
viii.    Lucy*,  b.  April  17,  1703;  bap.  Sept.  5,  1703,  First  Church  of  New 
London. 

Waitstill*,  b.  March  27,  1708. 

Grace*,  b.  June  2,  1712. 

This  list  corresponds  to  the  one  printed  by  Mr.  Sweet,  with 
one  exception.  The  "John"  given  by  him  is  omitted.  All  the 
other  children  are  found  recorded  on  the  Groton  books,  but  there 
is  no  "John"  among  them.  Mr.  Sweet  himself  was  in  doubt  in 
regard  to  the  matter.  Investigation  shows  that  the  John  men- 
tioned by  Mr.  Sweet  belongs  to  the  line  known  as  the  Thomas 
Avery  line  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  (see  p.  24) ,  and  that  he  and  all 
of  his  descendants  must  be  transferred  to  that  clan. 


4o. 

n. 

in. 

46. 

iv. 

47. 

V. 

48. 

vi. 

49. 

vii. 

50. 

viii 

51. 

ix. 

52. 

X. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  FOURTH  GENERATION. 

10.  Deborah^  Avery  (James ',  James-,  Christopher')  was  b. 
Aug-.  1,  1671,  at  Groton;  m.  June  29,  1691,  at  New  London,  Conn., 
Robert  AUyn,  s.  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Gager)  Allyn.  According 
to  the  New  London  records,  "Robert  Allyn  ye  sonn  of  John  & 
Elizabeth  Allen  was  borne  about  ye  middle  of  September  [1671]." 
He  lived  at  Allyn's  Point,  about  six  miles  below  Norwich,  was  a 
man  of  property,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  colony. 
Robert  Allyn  and  his  wife  were  in  full  communion  with  the  First 
Church  of  Groton  before  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  John  Owen, 
Nov.  22,  1727.  The  records  of  the  church  prior  to  this  date  are 
lost.  Robert  Allyn  died  December  28,  1729,  about  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning  {Hempstead's  Diary,  p.  216).  His  will  was  probated 
Jan.  27,  1730,  at  New  London  (New  London  Wills,  vol.  C).  By 
numerous  deeds  he  had  provided  well  for  his  children,  and  most 
of  his  remaining  property  he  left  to  his  wife.  Deborah  (Avery) 
Allyn  made  her  will  May  22,  1734,  and  it  was  proved  Dec.  17, 
1739,  at  New  London  (New  London  Wills,  D,  p.  427) .  She  men- 
tioned her  daughters,  Elizabeth  Williams  and  Deborah  Lester,  and 
all  her  sons. 

The  records  of  the  First  Church  of  New  London  show  the 
baptisms  of  the  children  as  given  below.  The  younger  ones  were 
probably  baptized  at  Groton  and  recorded  in  the  lost  book.  The 
births  are  here  recorded  as  they  appear  on  the  original  town  book 
of  Groton.  The  copy  that  was  made  in  1861  and  that  has  been  in 
general  use  since  that  time,  recorded  Elizabeth  as  b.  Nov.  20, 
1694,  and  omitted  Deborah.  A  careful  comparison  of  church  and 
town  records  had  forced  the  conviction  that  the  town  book  was 
wrong.  This  occasioned  much  loss  of  time  and  money.  In  1905, 
through  the  kindness  of  the  town  clerk,  we  were  permitted  to 
consult  the  original  book  and  there  discovered  that  a  mistake  had 
been  made  in  copying  not  only  that  but  other  entries. 

Children  of  Robert  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Allyn,  b.  at 
Groton: 


The   Fourth    Generation  117 

i.         Elizabeth',   b.  March  25,  1691-2;  bap.   July  17,  1692;  m.   Jonathan 

Williams. 
ii.         Deborah'',  b.  Nov.  20,  1694;  bap.  Feb.  9,   1694-5   (?) ;  m.   Sept.  22, 

1724,  at  Groton,  Jonathan   Lester.     "Deborah,  wife  of  Jonathan 

Lester,  died  March,  1770,  aged  76"    {Tombstone,  Stan-  cemetery, 

Groton) . 
iii.        JOHN%  b.  Jan.  11,  1695-6;  bap.  March  29,  1696;  m.  July  28,  1726,  at 

Groton,  Joanna  Minor;  d.  Sept.,  1786,  at  Ledyard. 
iv.        R0BERT%   b.  Jan.  25,  1697-8;  bap.  May  29,  1698;  m.    Abigail  Avery 

(No.  75). 
V.  James%  b.  Feb.  29,  1699-1700;  bap.  Junel,  1701,  "in right  of  wife;" 

m.  Alethea  Avery  (No.  112). 
vi.        Ebenezer",  twin  with  James;  bap.  same  time;  m.  April  27,  1726,  at 

Groton,    Mary    Thurber;    ensign,    second   Groton    company,    1741; 

lieut.,  1744  (Conn.  Col.  Rec,  8:369  &9:47);  d.  April  21,   1769,  at 

Allyn's  Point,  Conn, 
vii.       Christopher",  b.  April  12,  1702;  d.  March  26,  1703,  at  Groton. 
viii.      Samuel',  b.  May  26,  1704;  m.  Hannah  Avery  (No.  113). 

ix.       Christopher",  b.  July  21,  1706;  m.  Ann . 

X.         LucY%  b.  July  29, 1708;  not  mentioned  in  her  father's  or  her  mother's 

will.     Her  name  is  not  found  on  any  of  the  many  deeds  that  the 

other  children  signed  together.     She  probably  died  young. 
xi.        Nathan',  b.  Oct.  5,  1711;  m.  Jane  Pearl. 

11.  James'  Avery  {James\  James',  Christopher^)  was  b. 
April  20,  1673,  at  Groton;  bap.  Junel,  1673,  First  Church  of  New 
London;  m.  Mary  Griswold,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Bemas) 
Griswold.     She  was  b.  Feb.,  1673,  at  East  Windsor,  Conn. 

John  Griswold,  in  his  will  made  June  6,  1713  and  on  file  in  the  probate  court 
at  New  London,  mentioned  his  daughter,  Mary  Avery.  He  was  the 
son  of  Edward  Griswold,  who  m.  for  his  second  wife  the  widow  Mary 
Bemas.  She  had  a  daughter,  Mary  Bemas,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
married  her  mother's  stepson,  John  Griswold.  John  and  Mary  Griswold 
had  a  dau.  Mary,  b.  Feb.,  1673.  John  Griswold  m.,  for  his  second  wife, 
Bathsheba  Smith. 

James*  Avery  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  church  at 
Groton  before  the  ordination,  Nov.  22,  1727.  He  was  brander  of 
horses  for  Groton,  1705;  constable,  1707-8;  on  list  of  freemen, 
1708-11.  He  was  selectman  from  1731  to  1742  inclusive,  and 
moderator  most  of  th?t  time.  He  was  deputy  to  the  general  court 
for  fifteen  terms  (l'^15-1731) ;  justice  for  New  London  County, 
1726  1735;  guardian  jf  the  Pequot  Indians  after  his  father's  death; 
commissioned  ensig  n  of  the  first  company  of  the  Groton  train 
band,   1716;  heut.,:  721;  capt,  1728  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  5:489,548, 

/ 


^sSlx^^T^        0JU^ 


118  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

572  &  6  :2,  42,  270,  439,  514  &  7:2,  88,  124,  149,  152,  191,  250,  293, 
311,  346) .  He  was  often  called  James  Avery,  3d.  In  1730,  he  was 
one  of  the  committee  to  take  care  of  the  town  guns.  He  was 
given  lot  No.  18,  in  the  division  of  the  common  lands. 

He  received  many  gifts  of  land  from  his  father.     March  15, 

1717,  James  Avery, 
sen. ,  out  of  love  for  his 
son  James  and  for  his 
"more  Comfortable 
May  10. 1730.  '  subslstance  and  Lively 

hood  "  made  over  to  him  divers  parcels:  sixty  acres  of  land  lying 
in  Sheinerset  Neck  bought  of  Samuel  Chapman;  twenty  acres 
bought  of  the  widow  Hannah  Bushnell;  the  salt  meadow  bought 
of  Joseph  Latham,  deceased;  another  salt  meadow  of  two  acres; 
a  hundred  acres  of  land  bought  of  William  Denison;  nine  acres 
bought  of  Samuel  Raymond;  three  lots  containing  seventy-seven 
acres  more  or  less;  thirty  acres  also  bought  of  Samuel  Chapman. 
The  witnesses  were  John  Avery  and  Samuel  Avery  (Groton  Deeds, 
2:394). 

James^  Avery  made  his  will  March  28,  1749;  it  was  proved 
Sept.  21,  1754  {New  London  Wills,  F:535).  He  mentioned  wife; 
sons,  James  Avery,  2d,  John  Avery,  jun.,  Ebenezer  Avery,  jun. ; 
and  daughter,  Hannah  Hall.  He  divided  his  movable  estate  into 
four  parts,  one  for  each  child.  His  son,  Elihu,  and  his  dau.,  Pru- 
dence, were  dead.  He  made  no  mention  of  Mary.  Possibly  an 
undecipherable  stone  that  stands  beside  that  of  Prudence  in  the 
Avery-Morgan  burying-ground,  *  and  of  the  same  style  and  size, 
may  mark  the  resting  place  of  Mary.  She  was  alive  June  17, 
1731,  at  which  time,  Hannah,  Mary  and  Pi-udence  were  admitted 
to  full  communion  in  the  First  Church  of  Groton.  The  first  three 
children  were  bap.  in  the  First  Church  of  New  London,  the  second 
in  the  name  of  his  wife  (May  26,  1700),  he  being  under  discipline 
for  signing  the  remonstrance  (See  p.  &V),  The  other  baptisms 
were  probably  recorded  in  the  lost  book  of  the  Groton  church. 
His  wife  died  Nov.  26,  1750,  at  Groton,  aged  76  {Tombstone).  He 
died  Sept.  18,  1754,  at  Groton;  both  were  buried  in  the  Avery-Mor- 
gan burying-ground. 


*  This  Avery-Morgan  burying-ground  is  near  Poquc  lock  Bridge  in  the  town 
of  Groton. 


53. 

1, 

54. 

ii. 

55. 

iii. 

iv. 

56. 

V. 

57. 

vi. 

Vll. 

The   Fourth    Generation  119 

Children  of  James  and  Mary  (Griswold)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

James'-,  b.  May  27,  1697. 

JOHN%  b.  Feb.  4,  1700. 

Ebenezer',  b.  March  29,  1704. 

Elihu',  b.  July  29,  1707;  d.  Nov.  28,  1748,  at  Groton;  unm. 

Mary\  b.  Feb.  23,  1710. 

Hannah%  b.  April  7,  1712. 

Prudence',  b.  March  21,  1715.     "Prudence  Avery,  daughter  of 

James  and  Mary  Avery,  died  Sept.  17,  1731,  in  her  17th   year" 

{Tombstone). 

In  the  Hst  of  children,  as  printed  in  Sweet's  Averys  of 
Groton,  appears  the  name  of  a  "  Thomas,  born  as  is  supposed  in 
1717,  but  no  further  record."  Careful  search  has  revealed  no 
trace  of  this  apocryphal  Thomas. 

12.  Margaret*  Avery  {James\  James',  Christopher'^)  was  b. 
Feb.  4,  1674,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  28,  1675,  First  Church  of  New 
London;  m.  July  17,  1696,  at  New  London,  William  Morgan,  s.  of 
James  and  Mary  (Vine)  Morgan.  He  was  b.  March  4,  1669,  at 
Groton.  He  was  the  first  deacon  of  the  First  Church  of  Groton. 
He  was  made  ensign  of  the  train  band,  Oct.,  1721  {Conn.  Col.  Rec., 
6:270).  Mrs.  Margaret  (Avery)  Morgan  made  her  will  May  9, 
1754;  it  was  proved  Aug.  12,  1755,  at  New  London.  She  mentioned 
her  sons,  William,  Joseph,  and  Solomon;  dau.,  Jerusha  Avery; 
granddau.,  Lucy  Avery;  grandsons,  Elijah  Avery,  Caleb  Avery, 
and  Amos  Avery  were  to  have  their  mother's  share  of  the  estate; 
granddau.,  Mary  Belton,  was  to  have  her  mother's  share.  As 
there  were  several  marriages  into  the  Avery  family,  her  will 
makes  many  points  clear.  The  first  four  children  were  bap.  at 
the  First  Church  of  New  London;  the  names  of  the  others  were 
probably  on  the  lost  book  of  the  Groton  church. 

"Mr.  Ensign  William  Morgan  deceased  Dec.  25,  1750,  in  the 
82d  year  of  his  age.  Mrs.  Margaret  Morgan  relict  of  Ensign 
William  Morgan  deceased  July  28, 1755,  aged  82  yesirs"  (Tombstones, 
Avery-Morgan  hiirying-ground) . 

Children  of  William  and  Margaret  (Avery)  Morgan,  b. 
at  Groton: 

i.  William-,  b.  April  7,  1697;  bap.  July  25,  1697;  m.  Sept.  21,  1721,  at 
Groton,  Hannah  Stanton;  m.  2d,  Sept.  24,  1747,  at  Groton,  Sarah 
Seabury;  deputy,  1737;  d.  May  14,  1778,  at  Stonington. 


120  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

ii.  Margaret",  b.  Sept.  10,  1698;  bap.  Nov.  6,  1698;  m.  Jan.  29,  1719,  at 
Groton,  Samuel  Davis;  d.  Aug.  15,  1724,  at  Groton.  They  had  dau. 
Lucy,  b.  June   15,  1724,  at  Groton;  m.  Ebenezer  Avery  (No.  70). 

iii.     Deborah',  bap.  July  14,  1700;  probably  died  young. 

iv.     Hannah%  bap.  June  14,  1702;  probably  died  young. 

v.      Jerusha%  b.  July  14,  1704;  m.  Humphrey  Avery  (No.  48). 

vi.     Joseph',  b.  Aug.  10,  1706;  m.  Dorothy  Avery  (No.  69). 

vii.  Solomon',  b.  Oct.  5,  1708;  m.  Mary  Walsworth,  July  1,  1742,  at 
Groton.  She  was  the  dau.  of  William  and  Mary  (Avery)  Walsworth 
(No.  46).  He  was  deacon  of  the  First  Church  of  Groton;  d.  Nov. 
22,  1791,  at  Groton. 

viii.  Elizabeth',  b.  July  10,  1710;  m.  John  Avery  (No.  54). 

ix.      Mary',  b.  Jan.  5,  1714;  m.  Aug.  7,  1737,  at  Groton,  Jonas  Belton. 

13.  Edward'  Avery  (James',  James'^,  Christophey^^ )  was  b, 
March  20,  1675-6,  at  Groton;  bap.  July  2,  1676,  First  Church  of 
New  London;  m.  June  3,  1699,  at  Preston,  Joanna  Rose,  dau.  of 
Thomas  and  Hannah  (Allyn)  Rose.  Hannah  Allyn  was  the  aunt 
of  Robert  Allyn  who  m.  Deborah  Avery  (No.  10) .  Thomas  Rose 
mentioned  his  dau,,  Johanna  Avery,  in  his  will.  Edward  Avery 
was  on  the  list  of  freemen  of  Groton,  1708  and  1712;  surveyor, 
1707;  surveyor  and  lister,  1713;  surveyor,  1714;  on  the  school  com- 
mittee, 1712.  He  lived  in  the  northwest  part  of  Groton,  now 
Ledyard,  on  land  that  his  father  bought,  Jan.  6,  1694,  of  the  heirs 
of  John  Coit.  On  March  18,  1728,  James  Avery  deeded  this  land 
to  his  sons,  Edward  and  Christopher.  Jan.  4,  1731,  the  sons 
divided  the  land,  Edward  taking  the  west  side  adjoining  the 
Thames  River  and  Poquetannock  Cove.  Here  he  lived  and  died. 
He  and  his  wife  were  in  full  communion  with  the  church  at  Gro- 
ton, before  Nov.  22,  1727.  In  1724,  he  and  his  brother,  Christopher, 
asked  that  North  Groton  be  set  off  and  they  be  allowed  to  have 
their  own  minister  {Ecclesiastical  Docs.,  Hartford,  3:218).     They 

Q asked  again  in  1725.     Lot  No.  23, 

^It/^    0L|/^.W/  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  cove 

/  and  on  the  east  by  the  sea,  was 

^y^  ^""v— s^  assigned  to  him  in  the  division  of 
common  land,  and  later  lot  No.  60. 

Edward  Avery  made  his  will  Feb.  1,  1751-2;  it  was  proved 
May  9,  1759.  He  called  himself  yeoman.  He  provided  for  his 
wife,  Joanna,  during  her  natural  life.  He  mentioned  that  he  had 
already  given  his  son,  Theophilus,  lands  and  buildings,  but  further 
gave   him  "my  Buccaneer  Gunn   Sword  and  Belt:  my  wearing 


The    Fourth    Generation  121 


Sword  and  Cane."  Theophilus  was  to  pay  thirty  pounds  to  Eu- 
nice, the  daughter  of  his  brother  Ichabod.  The  testator  stated 
that  he  had  given  to  his  beloved  son,  Asa,  his  homestead  farm  and 
buildings  and  improvements  and  bequeathed  to  him  furniture, 
live  stock,  and  money  and  made  him  executor.  He  ordered  him 
to  pay  one  hundred  pounds  to  his  son,  Gideon,  and  thirty  pounds 
to  his  granddau.,  Mary  Avery.  He  gave  to  his  dau.,  Hannah 
Pelton.  forty  pounds,  and  the  same  sum  to  his  dau.,  Mary  Pelton. 
He  remembered  his  granddaughters,  Joanna  Allyn  and  Hannah 
Allyn,  the  first  with  fifteen  pounds  and  the  second  with  five  pounds. 
His  two  granddaughters,  Sarah  Chapman  and  Deborah  Stoddard, 
were  each  to  have  three  pounds.  The  witnesses  were  Nathan 
Aveiy,  Jacob  Avery,  and  Samuel  Hutchenson  (Neiv  London 
Wills,  G:355). 

He  was  buried  on  his  own  farm.  His  wife  and  many  of  their 
descendants  were  buried  on  the  same  lot.  His  plainly  lettered 
gravestone  bears  this  inscription: 

Mr.  Edward  Avery  of  Groton,  who  died  March  14,  1759,  aged  84  years  and 
24  days. 

The  age  at  time  of  death  does  not  correspond  to  the  date  of 
death  thus  noted,  but  does  agree  with  the  date  of  death  as  re- 
corded by  Mr.  Sweet,  April  14,  1759.  The  wife,  Joanna,  died 
Jan.  3,  1761,  aged  82. 

His  children  who  were  born  before  the  organization  of  the 
church  in  Groton  were  bap.  in  the  First  Church,  New  London. 

Children  of  Edward  and  Joanna  (Rose)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton: 

58.  i.  Joanna'',  b.  Nov.  21,  1700  (according  to  the  Groton  vital 
statistics) . 

Elizabeth',  bap.  June  29,  1701,  "he  having  given  satisfaction 
for  his  offense  in  signing  the  remonstrance"  (according  to 
the  books  of  the  First  Church  of  New  London) .  This  name  does 
not  appear  again.  According  to  the  church  records,  Richard 
Dart  had  a  child  Johanna,  bap.  the  same  day.  In  recording 
them,  the  names  were  probably  changed.  Richard  Dart's 
child  was  EHzabeth,  Edward  Avery's  was  "Johanna."  There 
is  little  doubt  that  No.  58  was  bap.  Johanna. 

Thomas',  b.  June  15,  1702;  d.  May  3,  1703,  at  Groton. 

Edward',  b.  May  22,  1704;  d.  June  7,  1705,  at  Groton. 

Deborah',  b.  May  6,  1706. 

Theophilus%  b.  Sept.  6, 1708. 

Benajah',  b.  Oct.  12,  1710. 


n. 

lU 

59. 

iv 

60. 

V. 

61. 

vi 

122  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

vii.  James%  b.  Oct.  27,  1712;  d.  Nov.  25,  1715,  at  Groton. 

62.  viii.  Gideon',  b.  June  1,  1715. 

63.  ix.  Hannah',  b.  July  30,  1717. 

64.  X.  ICHABOD',  b.  May  7, 1719. 

65.  xi.  ASA\  b.  July  21,  1721. 

66.  xii.  Mary%  b.  Nov.  3,  1723. 

Lydia,  who  is  mentioned  in  Sweet's  Avery s  of  Groton,  page 
30,  as  born  about  1725,  was  not  dau.  of  Edward\  She  was  dau. 
of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Lane)  Avery,  and  belonged  to  the 
Dedham  family  {Averys  of  Dedham,  p.  82).  Benajah  is  not  men- 
tioned in  his  father's  will  and  probably  died  before  1751. 

14.  Ebenezer*  Avery  (James\  James',  Christopher')  was 
b.  May  1,1678,  at  Groton;  bap.  June  16,  1678,  First  Church  of  New 
London;  m.  June  16,  1708,  at  Preston,  Dorothy  Parke,  dau,  of 
Capt.  John  and  Mary  (Witter)  Parke.  She  was  bap.  Nov.  27, 
1692,  at  First  Church  of  Stonington.  The  Hon.  Richard  A.  Wheeler, 
in  his  history  of  Stonington,  states  that  the  wife  of  Capt.  John 
Parke  was  Mary,  dau.  of  Josiah  Witter,  b.  Feb,  20,  1665.  Certain 
deeds  corroborate  this.  January  23,  1753,  John  Avery,  Robert 
and  Abigail  (Avery)  Allyn,  Christopher  Avery,  Ebenezer  Witter, 
Jonathan  Witter,  John  Richards,  Abigail  Richards,  and  Hannah 
Parke  deeded  certain  parcels  of  land  which  were  laid  out '  'to  the  legal 
representatives  of  Josiah  Witter,  May  17, 1736,  by  Ebenezer  Searles 
and  Thomas  Minor,  Proprietor's  committee  of  Stoneington. "  We 
know  that  four  of  these  are  descendants  of  Josiah  Witter;  John, 
Abigail,  and  Christopher  Avery  could  be  such  only  through  Mary 
Witter. 

Ebenezer'  Avery  was  on  the  list  of  freemen  of  Groton, 
1708;  collector  of  rates,  1716;  selectman,  several  terms;  and,  in 
1734,  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  town's  ammunition. 
He  received  a  hundred  acres  of  public  land  in  1720.  He  was 
deputy  to  the  general  court,  1720,  1726,  1738;  was  commissioned 
lieutenant  of  the  first  company  of  Groton,  1728;  captain,  1733; 
colonel  of  the  eighth  militia  regiment,  1739.  {Conn.  Col.  Rec, 
6:  173  &  7:  54,  152,  465  &  8:  155,  280), 

Sept.  25,  1738. 


ii 


The   Fourth    Generation  123 


March  16,  1717,  James'  and  Deborah  Avery  deeded  certain 
land  to  their  loving  son,  Ebenezer,  as  follows : 

To  all  Christian  people  to  whom  this  present  deed  of  gift  shall  come  James 
Avery,  sen.,  of  Groton,  &c.,  ...  in  consideration  of  the  natural  love 
and  affection  I  do  bear  my  beloved  son  Ebenezer,  and  for  his  more  com- 
fortable subsistance  &  livlihood  .  .  .  Three  certain  tracts  or  parcels 
of  land  situate  and  being  in  the  township  of  Groton  aforesaid.  One 
tract  being  the  farm  on  which  I  now  dwell  with  all  the  Housings  Build- 
ings Out  housings  erected  and  standing  on  said  Farm,  with  the  orchard 
and  all  other  fruit  trees  on  said  farm.  .  .  containing  by  estimation  two 
hundred  fifty  aci-es  more  or  less,  .  .  .  bounded  on  the  east  partly  with 
the  Great  swamp  that  parts  this  farm  from  Poquannock  Plain  to  the 
south  end  of  said  swamp  and  from  thence  with  the  Creek  that  parts 
Birch  Plain  which  is  a  part  of  this  farm  from  Poquannock  Plain,  and 
with  the  Creek  to  the  mouth  thereof  and  from  thence  to  the  cove  or 
creek  that  parts  this  farm  from  Shinacosset  Neck  on  the  west  side  by 
the  head  fence  by  Stoney  brook.  North  with  the  comon.  Another 
tract  of  land  .  .  .  lyeth  in  Poquannock  Plain,  containing  by  estimation 
twenty  acres,  bounded  on  the  west  by  great  swamp,  on  the  north  with 
the  land  of  John  Avery,  jun.,  on  the  east  with  Poquannock  Cove  or 
River  and  on  the  south  with  land  belonging  to  the  estate  of  Richard 
Lord  .  .  .  Third  tract  .  .  .  meadow  and  swampy  ground  .  .  .  bounded 
with  land  that  belonged  to  Lawrence  Codner,  partly  with  land  belong- 
ing to  Samuel  &  Joshua  Bill  .  .  .  To  be  by  him  and  them  enjoyed  and 
improved /o?-eve?-,  and  not  to  be  sold  by  my  said  son  nor  any  of  his  heirs 
or  passed  away  to  any  other  person  forever  to  continue  and  Remain  to 
hint  and  them  and  in  the  name  of  the  Avery s  forever  .  .  . 

James  Avery 

March  16,  1717.  Deborah  Avery 

{Groton  Deeds,  2:508.) 

Dorothy  (Parke)  Avery  died  Nov.  6,  1732,  at  Groton.  Ebe- 
nezer Avery  made  his  will  March  24,  1746-7;  it  was  proved  Aug. 
19,  1752.  In  it  he  mentioned  his  son,  Parke,  to  whom  he  gave  a 
grist-mill  with  dwelling  house  and  lands  adjoining,  north  of  the 
county  road,  land  near  the  New  London  ferry,  and  several 
other  parcels.  To  his  son,  Ebenezer,  he  gave  land  adjoining  the 
farm  that  he  had  already  given  him;  also 

"my  cloak  &  my  Laced  hat,  with  my  smallest  Silver  hilted  sword,  &  my 
new  great  Bible  and  my  watch  and  my  old  carbine." 

To  his  son,  Simeon,  he  gave  certain  lands  and 

"my  Brass  gun  &  speckled  Stork  gun  &  brass  hilted  sword,  my  silver  head 
«ain  &  oldest  great  Bible,  my  Druoy  Coat  &  Silk  Jacket  &  briches, 
my  Scarlet  Jacket  with  plate  buttons." 

He  also  gave  money  and  household  goods  to  his  daughters,  Mary 


124  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Latham,  Dorothy  Morgan,  Amy,  and  Unis.  No  mention  is  made 
of  a  wife;  he  probably  did  not  marry  a  second  time  {New  London 
Wills,  F:321). 

In  his  Averys  of  Gt^oton,  page  31,  Mr.  Sweet  states  that 
Ebenezer  Avery  had  a  second  wife,  Lucy  Morgan.  This  is  a  mis- 
take. William  Morgan,  in  his  will,  stated  that  his  granddaughter, 
Lucy,  married  Ebenezer  Avery,  but  this  granddaughter  was  Lucy 
Davis,  the  daughter  of  his  daughter,  Margaret.  This  Lucy  Davis 
married  Ebenezer  Avery,  No.  70,  below  mentioned.  Ebe- 
nezer^ Avery  d.  July  19,  1752,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Dorothy  (Parke)  Avery,  b.  in 
Groton : 

Parke%  b.  Dec.  9,  1710. 

Mary%  b.  Feb,  17,  1713. 

DoROTHY%  b.  Jan.  10,  1716. 

Lucy',  b.  Oct.  14,  1718;  d.  Jan.  9,  1719,  at  Groton. 

Ebenezer',  b.  April  3,  1721. 

Amie\  b.  Sept.  14,  1724. 

EUNICE%  b.  March  2,  1725-6. 

SlMEON%  b.  April  25,  1730. 

15.  Christopher'  Avery  {James\  James'  Christopher')  was 
b.  Jan.  23,  1679-80,  at  Groton;  bap.  Feb.  28,  1679-80,  First  Church  of 
New  London;  m.  Dec.  19,  1704,  at  Preston,  Abigail  Parke,  eldest 
dau.  of  Capt.  John  and  Mary  (Witter)  Parke,  of  Preston,  and  sis- 
ter of  his  brother  Ebenezer' s  wife.  She  was  bap.  Nov.  7,  1686, 
at  First  Church  of  Stonington  with  her  mother  Mary  Parke;  she  d. 
Feb.  12,  1713,  at  Groton.  Christopher*  Avery  m.  2d,  April  1, 
1714,  Mrs.  Prudence  (Payson)  Wheeler,  dau.  of  John  and  Bath- 
sheba  (Tilestone)  Payson,  and  widow  of  Richard  Wheeler.  She 
was  b.  Feb.  1,  1681.  She  was  the  granddau,  of  Edward  and 
Mary  (Eliot)  Payson.  Mary  Eliot  was  the  sister  of  the  Rev.  John 
Eliot,  "the  Indian  Apostle. "  Christopher'  Avery  m.  3d,  Jan.  1, 
1735,  Mrs.  Esther  (Hammond)  Prentice,  dau.  of  Nathaniel  and 
Mary  (Hyde)  Hammond,  of  Newton,  Mass. ,  and  widow  of  Samuel 
Prentice,  of  North  Stonington,  Conn.  Christopher'  Avery  m. 
4th,  Susanna   (Baker)   Elderkin,  widow  of  John  Elderkin. 

I,  John  Elderkin  of  Norwich,  in  the  county  of  New  London,  have  received 
of  my  honored  mother  Susanna  Avery  of  Groton  in  said  county,  as  she 
is  administrator  on  the  estate  of  my  honored  father  John  Elderkin  late 
of  said  Norwich,  deceased,  the  sum  of  Fifty  Two  Pounds  in  personal 


67. 

1, 

68. 

ii. 

69. 

iii. 

iv. 

70. 

v. 

71. 

vi. 

72. 

vii. 

73. 

viii 

The   Fourth   Generation  125 

estate  which  is  in  full  my  part  in  the  movable  estate  of  my  sd  Father, 
Groton,  the  13  of  March,  1753. 

John  Elderkin. 
(New  London  Wills,  G:119.) 

Christopher*  Avery  was  selectman,  1731,  1735,  1737;  surveyor, 
1736,  and  served  as  one  of  the  justices  for  New  London  County. 
He  was  clerk  of  the  North  Society  (Groton)  church.  In  1724  and 
1725,  he  was  deputy  to  the  general  court;  he  was  successively  en- 
sign, lieutenant  (1714),  and  captain  (1730).  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  6:426, 
^^  483,  553  &  7:303).     In  the  division  of 

/A^h7y^U:>  ^2a^  Y^  '^  ^^^  northwest  part  of  Groton 
\  4  £    (now  Ledyard),  as  described  m  the  re- 

^  m     cord    of    Edward    Avery    (No.    13), 

Christopher  took  the  eastern  part,  and  there  he  lived,  died,  and 
was  buried. 

"Captain  Christopher  Avery  deceased,  January  20,  1753,  in  the  73d  year  of 
his  age"  (Groton  Records). 

His  will  was  dated  March  18,  1752;  he  mentioned  wife,  Susanna; 
sons,  John,  Christopher,  Nathan,  and  Jacob;  daughters,  Abigail 
Allyn,  Priscilla  Breed,  Hannah  Gallup,  and  Temperance  Morgan; 
granddau.,  Prudence,  dau.  of  son,  Isaac,  deceased;  Susanna  Stodd- 
ard, mother  of  Prudence.     His  property  was  appraised  thus: 

Homestead  farm, £10,000  (old  tenor) 

Brewster's  Neck  farm 2,500 

Negroes-Jube 500 

Jeune 250 

Nero 530 

Lydia 260 

Sarah 240 

Tom 210 

In  1888,  some  of  his  descendants  set  up  a  brown-stone  obelisk 

on  the   east  side  of  Avery  Hill,   Ledyard   (formerly  the  North 

Parish  of  Groton)  not  far  from  his  former  home.     The  front  bears 

this  inscription: 

Christopher  Avery, 

1680-1753 

His  Four  Wives. 

His  daughter,  Temperance,  and  her  husband,  William  Morgan, 
were  buried  in  the  same  lot. 

Children  of  Christopher  and  Abigail  (Parke)   Avery,    b.  at 
Groton: 


78. 

1, 

79. 

ii. 

80. 

iii. 

81. 

iv. 

82. 

V. 

126  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

74.  i.  John",  b.  Oct.  26,  1705. 

75.  ii.  Abigail',  b.  July  16,  1707. 

76.  iii.  Christopher',  b.  Nov.  16,  1709. 

77.  iv.  Nathan',  b,  March  10,  1712. 

Children  of  Christopher  and  Prudence  (Payson- Wheeler) 
Avery,    b.  at  Groton: 

Priscilla',  b.  April  29,  1715. 

Isaac',  born  March  26,  1717. 

Hannah',  b.  Feb.  10,  1719.  ^ 

Jacob%  b.  Aug.  26,  1721. 

Temperance',  b.  Sept.  14,  1725. 

16.  Jonathan'  Avery  {James^,  James'^,  Christopher^)  was  b. 
Nov.  9,  1681,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  29,  1682,  First  Church  of  New 
London;  m.  April  11,  1703,  at  Groton,  Elizabeth  Bill,  dau.  of 
Philip  and  Elizabeth  (Lester)  Bill  of  Groton.  She  was  bap.  Dec. 
27,  1691,  at  the  First  Church  of  New  London.  Jonathan  Avery  was 
a  farmer  and  trader;  lived  near  the  ferry  in  Groton  and  traded  in 
horses  to  the  West  Indies.  He  was  on  the  list  of  Groton  freemen, 
1708;  and  with  his  wife  was  in  full  communion  with  the  First 
Church  of  Groton,  Nov.  22,  1727.  He  had  lot  No.  15  in  the  assign- 
ment of  lots  on  the  cove.  He  died  in  Cuba,  of  yellow  fever, 
about  1741. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Bill)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton: 

83.  i.  Jonathan',  b.  Dec.  30,  1703. 

84.  ii.  Elizabeth';  b.  Jan.  18,  1705. 

85.  iii.  Mary',  b.  Dec.  3,  1707. 

86.  iv.  Lucy',  b.  March  20,  1709. 

87.  V.  Abner%  b.  May  28,  1712. 

88.  vi.  Samuel',  b.  July  7,  1715;  not  mentioned  in  division  of  his  brother 

Abel's  estate  in  1747;  probably  d.  unm. 

89.  vii.     Abel%  b.  Sept.  17,  1717. 

90.  viii.    Temperance',  b.  Feb.  3,  1719. 

91.  ix.      Freelove',  b.  March  16,  1722. 

92.  X.      Experience',  b.  Nov.  6,  1724. 

The  above  differs  greatly  from  the  record  as  given  in  Sweet's 
The  Averys  of  Groton.  There  were  two  Jonathan  Averys,  each 
with  a  son  Jonathan.  One  was  a  son  of  James";  it  is  sup- 
posed that  the  other  was  a  son  of  Thomas.  (See  No.  30.)  One 
married  Elizabeth  Bill ;  the  other  married  Elizabeth  Waterman. 
Mr.  Sweet  says  (page  31)  that  Jonathan  the  son  of  James  married 


The   Fourth  Generation  127 

Elizabeth  Waterman;  he  also  says  (page  325)  that  Jonathan  the 
son  of  Thomas  married  Elizabeth  Bill.  Both  statements  are  wrong; 
the  two  Jonathans  must  exchange  places.  The  following  reasons 
have  forced  the  change: 

(1).  The  Rev.  David  Avery,  in  his  manuscript  history  of  the 
family,  says  that  Jonathan,  the  son  of  James  Avery,  and  his  son, 
Jonathan,  "went  in  the  expedition  to  take  Cartagena  and  Cuba 
and  they  both  died  in  the  expedition  at  Cuba."  Jonathan  Avery, 
son  of  Abner  (No.  87  above),  says  in  his  diary  that  his  grand- 
father, Jonathan  Avery,  traded  in  horses  to  the  West  Indies  and 
died  there  of  yellow  fever.  Evidently,  both  these  records  refer 
to  the  same  Jonathan,  and  so  the  father  of  Abner  must  have  been 
Jonathan  the  son  of  James. 

(2).  The  following  deed  shows  that  the  Jonathan  Avery  who 
had  a  son,  Jonathan,  living  and  old  enough  to  hold  property  in 
1728,  was  the  son  of  James.  The  Jonathan  Avery  who  married 
Elizabeth  Bill  had  a  son,  Jonathan,  born  1703,  who  married  in  1724, 
and  was  living  on  a  farm  in  Groton  in  1728.  The  Jonathan  Avery 
who  married  Elizabeth  Waterman  did  not  have  a  son,  Jonathan, 
until  1743  and  so,  according  to  this  deed,  could  not  have  been  the 
son  of  James.    - 

To  all  people  to  whom  these  presents  James  Avery  the  Eldest  of  Groton 
in  the  County  of  New  London  &  Colony  of  Connecticut  in  New  England 
Gentl  Sendeth  Greeting  Know  ye  that  I  the  sd  James  Avery  for  and  in 
consideration  of  the  good  will  &  natural  affection  that  I  have  and  do 
bare  to  my  Dutifull  grand  Son  Jonathan  Avery  jun  of  sd  Groton  House 
carpenter  and  for  Divers  other  valuable  considerations  me  hereunto 
moving  Have  Given  granted  Aliened  Enfeoffed  Conveyed  &  confirmed 
and  by  these  presents  I  the  sd  James  Avery  do  for  me  my  heirs  execu- 
tors &  Administrators  fully  freely  clearly  and  absolutely  give  grant 
alien  enfeoffe  convey  and  confirm  unto  the  sd  Jonathan  Avery  jun  his 
heirs  executors  Administrators  and  assyns  for  ever  a  certain  tract  or 
parcel  of  Land  Situate  lying  and  being  in  sd  Groton  at  a  place  called 
Shincoset  Neck  containing  by  estimation  Fifty  acres  be  the  same  more 
or  less  and  is  all  the  land  that  my  son  Jonathan  Avery  sen  hath  in  his 
impowerment  Butted  and  bounded  as  followeth  (viz)  West  with  the 
New  London  Run  on  the  North  with  Capt.  William  Lathams  Land,  on 
the  East  with  a  fence  partly  in  a  swamp  which  fence  is  the  bound  be- 
twixt sd  land  and  land  in  the  power  of  my  son  James  Avery  Esq  of  sd 
Groton  and  on  the  south  bounded  with  land  now  in  the  possession  of  the 
sd  Jonathan  Avery  jun  To  have  and  to  hold  the  sd  Given  &  granted 
premises  unto  the  sd  Jonathan  Avery  jun  his  heirs  executors  Adms  & 
Assigns  forever  Together   with   the    House   thereon  &    all  appurten- 


128  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

ances  thereunto  belonging  only  I  do  hereby  reserve  to  my  above  named 
son  Jonathan  Avery  sen,  the  sole  and  full  use  of  each  and  every  part 
of  the  Premises  during  his  natural  life.  In  witness  &  in  confirmation 
of  the  above  written  I  the  said  James  Avery  have  hereunto  set  my 
hand  and  Seal  in  Groton  this  Sixteenth  day  of  August  in  the  Second 
year  of  the  reign  of  our  Sovereign  Lord  George  the  Second  of  Great 
Britain  &  King  Annoque  Dominie  1728. 

Groton,  Aug.  16,  1728. 
(See  Groton  Deeds,  Book  1,  p.  392) 

(3).  In  addition  to  the  three  children  assigned  by  Mr.  Sweet 
(page  31)  to  Jonathan  Avery  and  his  second  wife  Dorothy  (Den- 
ison)  Copp  were  Uriah,  born  Aug.  23,  1760,  and  Olive,  who  was 
baptized  at  Norwich,  May  29,  1763.  If  the  father  of  this  Olive 
was  Jonathan  the  son  of  James,  he  must  have  been  82  years  old 
at  the  time  of  her  baptism,  and  could  not  have  died  in  Cuba  about 
1741,  as  stated  by  the  Rev.  David  Avery,  an  unimpeached  and 
wholly  trustworthy  witness. 

(4).  The  Jonathan  Avery  who  married  Elizabeth  Waterman 
made  his  will  in  July  29,  1783,  at  which  time,  if  he  was  the  son  of 
James,  he  must  have  been  102  years  old.  Further,  his  estate  was 
inventoried  July  28,  1792,  his  will  having  been  probated  only  four 
days  before.  The  remarkable  age  of  111  years  would  not  have 
passed  unnoted. 

For  these  sufficient  reasons  we  give  the  record  as  above. 

17.  Hannah*  Avery  {James\  James',  Christopher^)  was  b. 
March  24,  1685,  at  Groton;  bap.  June  13,  1686,  First  Church  of 
Stonington;  m.  Dec.  30,  1708,  at  Groton,  Samuel  Morgan,  s.  of 
John  and  Rachel  (Deming)  Morgan,  of  Groton.  He  was  b.  Sept. 
9,  1669,  at  Groton.  They  were  living  in  the  North  Parish  (now 
Ledyard )  in  1727,  at  which  time  they  were  in  full  communion  with 
the  First  Church  of  Groton.  An  inventory  of  the  estate  of  Samuel 
Morgan,  late  of  Groton,  was  taken  May  31,  1734.  Samuel  Morgan 
was  administrator  and  his  brother,  Elijah,  signed  the  bond  {New 
London  Wills,  D:7  5). 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Morgan,  b.  at 
Groton : 

i.         Samuel',  b.  March  9,   1710;  m.   Sept.   30,   1741,   at  Groton,  Abigail 

Heath;  d.  at  Preston. 
iL        Elijah',   b.   April  13,   1712;  m.   Nov.   13,  1735,    at   Groton,    Eunice 

Williams.     He  was  one  of  the  grantees  of  Littleton  and  Lemps- 

ter,  N.  H.,  about  1761  {New  Hampshire  State  Papers,   vol.   25, 

p.  221). 


The    Fourth   Generation  129 

iii.  Hannah',  b.  Feb.  14,  1714. 

iv.  Abijah",  b.  July  6,  1715.     He  was  in  the  campaigns  of  1758  and  of 

1762  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:167,  317). 

V.  LuCY%  b.  March  9,  1717. 

vi.  Theophilus',  (?). 

vii.  Experience",  (?). 

viii.  Timothy",  m.  Deborah ;  d.  Oct.  13,  1795,  aged  73. 

January  21,  1744,  Timothy  Morgan,  of  Groton,  deeded  to  his 
brothers,  Samuel  and  Elijah,  land  that  had  belonged  to  his  honored 
father,  Samuel  Morgan.  Jan.  25,  1739-40,  Abijah,  Hannah,  and 
Lucy  Morgan  deeded  to  their  brothers,  Samuel  and  Elijah,  land 
inherited  from  their  father.  April  18,  1734,  Samuel  Morgan 
deeded  land  to  his  brother  Elijah.  In  the  deed  he  mentioned  his 
brother,  Abijah,  and  called  his  honored  father  "deceased" 
( Groton  Deeds,  3:  142,  4: 29,  &  5: 14) .  I  can  find  no  trace  of  Theo- 
philus and  Experience  except  the  record  given  in  the  Morgan 
Genealogy. 

18.  Sarah*  Avery  {James\  James',  Christopher'')  was  b. 
May  10,  1688,  at  Groton;  m.  Carey  Latham,  s.  of  Carey  and  Sus- 
anna (Forster)  Latham.  He  was  b.  Sept.  13,  1690,  at  Groton. 
His  wife  died  April  20,  1732,  at  Groton,  and  was  buried  in  the 
"ancientest"  burying-ground  at  New  London,  where  her  tomb- 
stone is  still  standing.  He  m.  2d,  Sarah  Waterhouse,  who  died 
Feb.  8,  1734.  By  her  he  had  a  son,  Carey.  He  m.  3d,  Dorothy 
(Otis)  McLaren.  He  was  drowned  in  the  Connecticut  River  by 
overturning  of  his  canoe,  July  11,  1735,  and  was  buried  in  the 
"ancientest"  burying-ground,  where  his  tombstone  is  still  stand- 
ing. 

Children  of  Carey  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Latham,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.         Joseph',  b.  April  8,  1714;  m.  Rebecca  Green,  of  Groton. 

ii.       Susannah',  b.  Sept.  1,  1717,  at  Groton;  m.  John  Williams;   d.  July 

23,  1799,  at  Groton. 
iii.      Emblem",  b.  March  14,  1720;  m.  Moses  Hood  {Groton  Deeds,  5:57) . 
iv.      Sarah\  b.  Sept.  25,  1723;  m.  John  Fish  {Groton  Deeds,  7:180). 
V.       Mary",  b ;   m.   Jonathan   Pratt   and   moved   to   Hartford.    Her 

name  does  not  appear  in  the  list  of  Groton  births,  but  numerous 

deeds  prove  there  was  such  a  daughter  {Groton  Deeds,   5: 189, 

&  7:180,  &8:24). 

The  above  record  of  the  family  of  Sarah'  Avery  does  not  ap- 
pear in  Sweet's  Averys  of  Groton.  It  is  possible  that  it  is  not 
correct.     The  reasons  for  thinking  that  it  is  correct  are  as  follows: 


130  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

(1).  James  Avery,  the  father  of  this  Sarah  Avery,  referred 
to  her  in  1717  as  Sarah  Latham,  in  1727,  he  called  her  Sarah 
Latham.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  his  daughter,  Sarah,  was 
married  to  a  Mr.  Latham  as  early  as  1717  and  that  she  was  alive 
in  1727  {Groto7i  Deeds,  2:394). 

(2),  A  careful  search  among  the  Latham  records  reveals 
only  one  Latham  of  that  period  who  married  a  Sarah.  Earlier 
than  1714,  Carey  Latham  married  Sarah  .  .  .  The  last  name 
has  not  been  ascertained.  Mrs.  Sarah  Latham's  tombstone  shows 
that  she  died  in  1732,  aged  44;  Sarah  Avery  was  born  in  1688; 
the  age  agrees  with  the  dates. 

19.  Joseph'  Avery  (James\  James',  Christopher'^)  was  bap. 
April  17,  1692,  at  New  London;  m.  Tabitha  Gardiner.  The  Rev. 
David  Avery  says  that  Joseph  Avery,  son  of  James,  married 
Tabitha  Gardiner  of  South  Kingston.  Mr.  Sweet  says  that  they 
were  married  in  South  Kingston  and  that  her  father's  name  was 
William.  William  Gardiner  of  Kingston,  R.  I.,  had  a  daughter 
Tabitha.  He  died  in  1711,  his  will  mentioned  his  wife,  Elizabeth, 
and  a  daughter,  Tabitha,  then  apparently  unmarried.  This  Tabitha 
was  probably  born  in  Kingston,  R.  I.,  between  1685  and  1690. 
On  the  records  of  the  Second  Congregational  Church  of  Griswold, 
Conn.,  is  found  the  marriage  of  Henry  Skilton  of  South  Kingston 
to  Tabitha  Avery  of  North  Kingston.  As  this  Tabitha  was  the 
daughter  of  Joseph  Avery,  the  marriage  record  strengthens  the 
theory  that  her  mother,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Avery,  came  from  King- 
ston. A  story  has  been  handed  down  in  the  Skilton  family  to  the 
effect  that  Joseph  Avery  owned  an  outlying  farm,  where  he  had 
cattle  and  hay.  This  farm  he  offered  to  his  eldest  son  if  he  would 
occupy  the  small  house  upon  it  during  the  coming  winter  and  feed 
and  care  for  the  stock.  When  the  son  declined  the  offer,  the  sister, 
Tabitha,  accepted  it.  It  was  during  this  winter  on  the  farm  that 
she  met  Henry  Skilton  whom  she  soon  married.  Possibly  this 
farm  was  in  North  Kingston  and  came  to  Joseph  Avery  through 
his  wife.  If  this  is  so,  old  deeds  may  reveal  the  parentage  of  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Avery. 

Norwich,  Jan.  10,  1717,  James  Avery  through  love  deeded  to 
his  son  Joseph  land  that  he  bought  of  Isaac  Harrington.  This 
land  was  east  of  the  River  Quinabauge  at  a  place  called  Paba- 
quamsque;  60  acres  bounded  by  the  common,  River  Quinabauge 


93. 

1  , 

94. 

ii. 

iii 

95. 

iv. 

96. 

V. 

The   Fourth   Generation  131 

and  Pachog-ue  Brook.  March  16,  1717,  he  deeded  him  two  tracts 
of  land,  through  "love  he  bears  his  dutiful  son  Joseph."  Sept.  1, 
1729,  Ebenezer  Avery  deeded  to  his  brother  Joseph  Avery, 
through  love,  "land  in  Norwich,  on  which  the  said  Joseph  now 
dwells"  (Norwich  Deeds,  1:65,  &  6:467). 

June  27,  1753,  at  Norwich,  "Old  Joseph  Avery  was  drowned" 
is  an  entry  in  Jabez  Fitch's  diary  (Mayfloiuer  Descendants,  1:38). 
His  estate  was  inventoried  at  Norwich,  Nov.  6,  1753,  but  was  not 
wholly  divided  until  May  5,  1755.  The  heirs  were  the  widow,  Ta- 
bitha  Avery;  sons,  Joseph  and  Benjamin;  dau.,  Tabitha  (Avery) 
Skilton;  and  the  heirs  of  dau.,  Lucy,  deceased,  wife  of  Jonathan 
Tracy  {Norwich  Wills,  1:454). 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Tabitha  (Gardiner)  Avery,  b.  at 
Norwich: 

Joseph",  b.  Sept.  26,  1715;  d.  latei'  than  1755. 

Tabitha";  b.  Feb.  25,  1717. 

Elizabeth',  b.  Aug.  24,  1719;  d.  Aug.  6,  1743,  at  Norwich,  unm. 

Benjamin',  b.  Sept.  4,  1721. 

LuCY%  b.  May  2,  1723. 

20.  Mary'  Avery  (James",  James-,  Christopher^)  was  bap. 
July  2,  1693,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  July  3,  1716,  at 
Groton,  William  Morgan,  son  of  Capt.  John  Morgan  by  his  second 
wife,  the  widow  Elizabeth  Williams,  dau.  of  Lieutenant-governor 
William  Jones  {Morgan  Genealogy,  p.  25) .  He  died  in  Oct.  1729, 
aged  36,  at  Groton.  He  made  his  will  Oct.  3,  1729;  it  was  proved 
Dec.  7,  1729.  He  mentioned  wife;  all  the  children  named  below; 
beloved  brother,  Christopher  Avery,  executor  {New  London  Wills, 
C:445). 

January  22,  1742-3,  Samuel  Killum,  son-in-law;  Prudence  Mor- 
gan; Margery  Morgan;  and  Jedediah  Leeds,  son-in-law;  receipted  to 
their  mother,  Mary  Morgan,  for  their  share  in  the  estate  of  their 
father,  William  Morgan  {Neic  London  Wills,  F:448).  Mary 
(Avery)  Morgan  died  April,  1780,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  William  and  Mary  (Avery)  Morgan,  b.  at 
Groton: 

i.  Mary',  b.  May  9,  1717;  m.  Joseph  Allyn. 

ii.  Elizabeth',  b.  Feb.  1,  1719;  may  have  m.  Jedediah  Leeds. 

iii.  Margaret',  b.  Feb.  26,  1721. 

iv.  William',  b.  June  17,  1723;  m.  Temperance  Avery  (No.  82). 

V.  Deborah',  b.  June  26,  1726;  m.  Samuel  Killum. 


132  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

vi.      Prudence'',  b.  Feb.  29,  1728;  m.  John  Morgan;  d.  April  16,   1815,  at 
Groton. 

21.  Benjamin^  Avery  (James\  James\  Christopher^)  was 
b.  1696,  at  Groton;  m.  Thankful  Avery  (No.  177),  daughter  of 
John  and  Sarah  (Denison)  Avery.  She  was  b.  April  15,  1718,  at 
Groton,  Conn.,  and  d.  Jan.  1813,  at  the  same  place.  She  is  re- 
corded as  No.  28  on  page  406  of  Sweet's  The  Averys  of  Gt^oton. 
Mr.  Sweet  said  that  this  Thankful  Avery  was  born  in  1712,  the 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Avery,  whose  record  appears  as  No.  14  on 
page  406  of  his  book.  But  careful  search  has  failed  to  show  that 
there  was  any  such  Benjamin,  son  of  John  Avery.  The  whole  re- 
cord that  appears  as  No.  14,  on  the  page  in  question,  should  be 
cancelled.  The  family 'historian  has  taken  care  of  the  children; 
the  alleged  father  is  a  myth.  According  to  the  Rev.  David  Avery 
(whose  aunt  she  was  and  whom  he  often  visited),  this  Thankful 
Avery  was  a  daughter  of  John\  the  son  of  John". 

When  fifteen  years  of  age,  Thankful  Avery  was  married  in  a 
lemon-colored,  brocaded,  silk  dress,  one  of  three  patterns  brought 
from  Paris  by  the  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel.  Two  of  the  pat- 
terns were  lemon  and  one  was  lavender  in  color.  The  captain's 
wife  chose  one  of  the  lemon-colored  ones,  to  the  disappointment 
of  Thankful' s  father  who  wished  his  two  daughters  to  be  married 
in  gowns  of  the  same  color.  The  older  daughter  chose  lavender, 
so  Thankful  had  the  lemon-colored  one.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
two   sisters  were  married  at  the  same  time  and  that  the  older 

sister  was  the  Sarah  who  mar- 

^-^  ,,— --TS  1^^^-  ^^  Thankful  is  said  to 
(_^_^y  have  been  about  fifteen  years 
old  when  married  and  as  her  first  child  was  born  September  9, 
1735,  she  also  probably  was  married  January  10,  1734.  Her 
daughter,  Thankful,  wore  the  dress  when  she  married  Elihu 
Avery,  and  in  turn,  her  daughter,  Cynthia,  wore  it  when  she 
married  Ebenezer  Lester.  At  that  time,  the  dress  was  altered  to 
conform  to  the  fashion  of  that  day.  From  that  time  to  this,  the 
dress  has  been  unchanged;  it  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Cynthia's 
g-randdaughter,  who  guards  it  with  great  care. 

Benjamin*  Avery  was  given  the  right  to  build  a  pew  in  the 
gallery,  July  4,  1720.  He  was  lister,  1731,  1732;  fence  viewer, 
1733,  1735,  1737,  1749;  surveyor,  1737,  1745;  selectman,  1755-1758. 


The    Fourth   Generation  133 

March  16,  1617,  James  Avery  deeded  land  at  the  head  of  Po- 
quonock  Cove  to  his  loving  son,  Benjamin.  This  land  had  be- 
longed to  his  honored  father,  Capt.  James  Avery,  and  "butted" 
on  his  brother  Samuel's  land  {Gh^oton  Deeds,  2:391).  Benjamin 
Avery  owned  (Dec.  6,  1754)  two  shares  in  the  Wyoming  company 
that  claimed  land  in  Pennsylvania  on  the  Susquehanna. 

Benjamin^  Avery's  will,  made  Jan.  9,  1769,  and  probated  Jan. 
4,  1773,  mentioned  his  wife  Thankful;  sons,  Benjamin,  Daniel, 
Solomon,  Denison;  daughters,  Abigail  Smith,  Anna  Avery;  two 
oldest  unmarried  daughters,  Sarah  and  Mary;  two  other 
daughters,  Lucy  and  Thankful;  two  youngest  daughters,  Deborah 
and  Hannah;  daughter,  Mercy,  to  be  cared  for  during  her  natural 
life  {Stonington  Wills,  2:38).  His  tombstone  is  standing  in  the 
Avery-Morgan  burying-ground:  "In  memory  of  Benjamin  Avery, 
who  died  Dec.  5,  1772,  in  ye  76  year  of  his  age."  This  determines 
the  year  of  his  birth  and  makes  him  the  youngest  child.  His 
wife.  Thankful,  was  buried  by  his  side. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Thankful  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

Benjamin',  b.  Sept.  9,  1735. 

Abigail',  b.  Dec.  12,  1737. 

Deborah',  b.  Oct.  6,  1738;  d.  Oct.  29,  1738,  at  Groton. 

Daniel',  b.  Nov.  14,  1740. 

Sarah',  b.  July  29,  1742. 

Anna',  b.  Jan.  15,  1743-4;  m.  Griswold  Avery  (No.  275). 

Mary',  b.  Jan.  1748. 

Solomon',  bap.  June  4,  1749,  First  Church  of  Groton;  was  a 
sergeant  of  militia;  d.  Sept.  6,  1781,  at  Fort  Griswold, 
Groton. 

Denison',  b.  June  11,  1749. 

Lucy'. 

Thankful',  bap.  Aug.  1,  1755;  m.  Elihu  Avery  (No.  278). 

Mercy',  bap.  July  5,  1757;  d.  unm. 

Deborah',  b.  Oct.  2,  1758. 

Hannah',  bap.  May  30,  1762. 

22.  Thomas*  Avery  {Thomas^,  James',  Christopher^)  was  b. 
April  20,  1679,  at  Groton  ;  bap.  June  29,  1679,  First  Church  of 
New  London;  m.  July  12,  1704,  at  New  London,  Ann  Shapley, 
dau.  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Picket)  Shapley.  She  was  b.  Aug. 
31,  1685,  at  New  London. 


97. 

i. 

98. 

ii. 

iii. 

99. 

iv. 

100. 

V. 

101. 

vi. 

102. 

vii. 

viii. 

103. 

ix. 

104. 

X. 

105. 

xi. 

xii. 

106. 

xiii. 

107. 

xiv. 

134  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Thomas*  Avery  owned  land  in  Saybrook.  A  controversy  be- 
tween him  and  Thomas  Lord  relating  to  certain  lands  there 
was  settled  Dec.  8,  1704.  September  11,  1703,  he  sold  land  in 
Saybrook,  called  Pochange,  and  styled  himself  yeoman  of  Say- 
brook.  June  5,  1706,  he  and  his  brother  Samuel  sold  land  in  Po- 
change  to  Samuel  Chapman.  October  24,  1706,  he  called  himself 
of  New  London,  gent. ,  and  deeded  to  Samuel  Chapman  land  that 
should  have  been  included  in  a  deed  given  him,  June  5,  1706,  at 
Pochange,  Oyster  River  tract  (Saybrook  Deeds).  He  died  before 
Nov.  25,  1711,  at  which  time  his  widow  married  Jonathan  Roff 
(Ross?).  In  the  inventory  of  the  estate  taken  at  New  London, 
Dec.  11,  1711,  the  widow  is  called  Ann  Ruff  and  the  children  are 
Thomas,  aged  6,  and  Ann,  aged  4.  She  married  3d,  James  Mor- 
gan, June  24,  1729,  at  New  London,  and  died  June  17,  1751,  at 
Groton. 

June  17,  1751.  "Ann  Morgan,  relic  of  Dea.  James  Morgan,  deceased  aged 
abt.  68.  Her  first  husband  was  Thomas  Avery,  her  second  Jonathan 
Roff  {Hempstead's  Diary,  p.  570). 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Shapley)  Avery,  b.  at  New 
London: 

i.         Thomas'",  b.  March  31,  1705;  drowned  while  swimming,  July  3, 
1712.  at  New  London. 
108.     ii.        Ann'',  b.  May  12,  1707. 

23.  Samuer  Avery  {Thomas',  James',  Christopher')  was 
b.  Nov.  15,  1680,  at  Groton;  bap.  Jan.  2,  1681,  First  Church  of 
New  London;  m.  June  23,  1702,  at  New  London,  Elizabeth  Rans- 
ford,  dau.  of  Jonathan  and  Martha  Ransford,  late  of  Boston. 

Mary  (Smith)  Raymond,  in  her  will  before  referred  to  (page 
108) ,  made  May  8,  1705,  mentioned  Elizabeth  Avery,  dau.  of  ' '  my 
cousin  Martha  Ransford  deceased."  Jonathan  Ransford  was  b. 
July  26,  1661,  at  Boston,  the  child  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Sunder- 
land) Ransford.  On  April  2,  1698,  John  Sunderland  deeded  to 
Elizabeth  Ransford,  only  child  of  Jonathan  Ransford,  late  of  Bos- 
ton, mariner,  certain  lands  "when  she  shall  be  21  or  marry" 
(Suffolk  Deeds,  16:182).  February  16,  1702,  Samuel  Avery,  cord- 
wainer,  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  only  child  of  Jonathan  Ransford, 
sold  her  right  in  land  owned  by  Jonathan  Ransford  for  £125  to 
John  Sunderland  (Suffolk  Deeds,  21:171). 

Samuel'  Avery  called  himself  husbandman  when,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  his  brother  Thomas,  he  sold  land  in  Pochange,  Oyster 


The   Fourth   Generation  135 

River  quarter,  to  Samuel  Chapman,  June  5,  1706  {Sayhrook  Deeds) . 
In  1710,  he  bought  of  Jonathan  Rogers,  twenty  acres  of  land, 
house  and  orchard,  on  the  north  side  of  Saw-mill  Brook,  in  Mohe- 
gan  (Montville)  (Henry  Baker's  i^Tistony  o/ Motif vi/^e,  p.  93).  He 
probably  lived  and  died  on  this  place.  He  and  Adonijah  Fitch 
owned  pew  No.  8,  in  the  original  church  erected  in  Montville. 

In  his  will  dated  Feb.  22,  1749  50,  New  London,  North 
Parish,  Samuel  Avery  mentioned  wife,  Elizabeth;  sons,  John  and 
Ephraim;  daughters,  Martha,  Elizabeth,  Alethea,  Hannah,  Anna, 
and  Mary;  "children  of  my  son  Ransford  deceased,  five  shillings 
to  each  of  them  and  to  his  son  Samuel  who  now  lives  with  me  I 
give  fifty  pounds  money  old  tenor"  (New  London  Wills,  F:  56). 
He  died  Feb.  25,  1749-50,  at  Montville.  His  widow  died 
Sept.  9,  1761,  at  Montville. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Ransford)  Avery: 

Ransford',  b.  June  26,  1703,  at  Saybrook,  Conn. 

Martha". 

Samuel',  bap.   March  27,   1709,   First  Church  of  Norwich;   d. 

July  15,  1712,  at  Montville. 
Elizabeth^  bap.  Sept.  16,  1711,  First  Church  of  Norwich. 
Alethea',  bap.  July  25,  1714,  First  Church  of  Norwich. 
Hannah",  bap.  June  29,  1718,  First  Church  of  New  London. 
Thomas',  bap.  June  29,   1718,   First  Church  of   New  London; 

nothing  further  known;  died  before  1750. 
Ann",  bap.  May  22,  1719,  First  Church  of  New  London. 
John",  b.  Feb.  14,  1723,  at  Montville. 
Mary",  bap.  Aug.  21,  1725,  First  Church  of  Montville. 
Ephraim",  bap.  June  25,  1727,  First  Church  of  Montville. 

24.  Ephraim^  Avery  (Thomas-,  James-,  Christopher^)  was 
bap.  Oct.  18,  1685,  First  Church  of  Stonington;  m.  Abigail  .  .  . 
She  died  Aug.  25,  1717,  and  was  buried  in  the  Mason  burying- 
ground  at  Mystic. 

"Here  lyeth  ye  body  of  Abigal  ye  wife  of  Ephraim  Avery,  who  died  25th 
August,  1717,  in  ye  29th  year  of  her  age." 

On  the  foot  stone  are  the  words: 

"Abigal  Avery,  1717,  with  their  child  one  day  old." 

She  was  probably  Abigail  Mason,  dau.  of  Daniel  and  Rebecca 
(Hobart)  Mason,  b.  Feb.  3, 1689,  at  Stonington.  In  the  same  small 
lot  are  buried  Daniel  and  Rebecca  Mason,  her  supposed  father 
and  mother. 


109. 

1, 

110. 

ii. 

iii. 

111. 

iv. 

112. 

V. 

113. 

vi. 

114. 

vii. 

115. 

viii. 

116. 

ix. 

117. 

X. 

118. 

xi. 

136  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Ephraim^  Avery  was  a  mariner  and  sailed  in  the  sloop  "Sea 
Flower,"  Capt.  King.  The  sloop  arrived  from  Saltudus,  April  17, 
1719,  with  smallpox  aboard. 

Saturday,  May  9,  1719,  "  Ephraim  Avery  was  buried  on  Powder  Island, 
he  died  with  Small  Pox  on  Bord  of  Capt.  King-"  {Hempstead's 
Diary,  p.  88). 

June  3,  1719,  the  general  court  ordered  that  the  doctor's  fees  and 
certain  other  charges  be  paid  out  of  his  estate  (Conn.  Col.  Rec, 
6:  137).  His  estate  was  inventoried,  Oct.  19,  1719.  His  brother, 
Samuel  Avery,  administered  it  June  3,  1720;  no  mention  was 
made  of  wife  or  child.  Hannah  Minor,  his  sister,  accounted  for 
certain  things  left  in  her  care  when  he  went  to  sea  {New  Lon- 
don Wills,  B:  372). 

25.  Hannah*  Avery  {Thomas',  James',  Christopher^)  was  b. 
May  4,  1686;  bap.  April  16,  1688,  at  Stonington;  m.  Dec.  26,  1706, 
at  Stonington,  Conn. ,  Thomas  Minor,  son  of  Manasseh  and  Lydia 
(More)  Minor.  He  was  b.  Sept.  20,  1683,  at  Stonington,  and  bap. 
Nov.  14,  of  same  year.  First  Church  of  Stonington.  He  was  also 
deacon  of  this  church.  In  his  will,  made  Dec.  6,  1734,  he  men- 
tioned children,  Thomas,  Sylvanus,  Jonathan,  Manasseh,  Hannah, 
Prudence,  and  Lydia.  He  died  April  9,  1739,  at  Stonington.  His 
widow,  Hannah,  in  her  will,  dated  Nov.  21,  1762,  mentioned  son, 
Jonathan;  daus.,  Hannah  Grant,  Prudence  Avery,  Lydia  Minor; 
and  son-in-law,  John  Avery,  who  was  to  buy  and  set  her  grave- 
stone and  the  gravestones  of  her  deceased  sons,  Thomas  Minor 
and  Manasseh  Minor.     She  died  Dec.  9,  1762,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Miner,  b.  at 
Stonington: 

i.  Thomas',  b.  Oct.  4,  1707;  m.  Jan.  5,  1745,  Sarah  Watson;  d.  Nov.  22, 
1760,  at  Stonington. 

ii.  Sylvanus",  b.  March  3,  1709;  m.  the  widow,  Ann  (Avery)  Griffing 
(No.  108) ;  d.  March  15,  1786,  at  Stonington. 

iii.  Hannah%  b.  Nov.  23,  1710;  m.  Jan.  25,  1744-5,  at  Stonington,  Noah 
Grant.  He  was  a  son  of  Josiah  and  Rebecca  (Minor)  Grant. 
His  mother  was  the  dau.  of  Hannah  (Avery)  Minor  (No.  3). 

iv.      Jonathan",  b.  Feb.  25,  1714;  m.  Ann  Avery  (No.  115). 

V.       Lydia",  b.  Jan.  12,  1716,  d.  Jan.  22,  1716,  at  Stonington. 

vi.      Prudence",  b.  Dec.  6,  1719;  m.  John  Avery  (No.  116). 

vii.  Manasseh",  b.  Feb.  25,  1723;  d.  unm.  before  Oct.  5,  1754,  at  Ston- 
ington, when  his  estate  was  divided  among  his  brothers  and  sis- 
ters (New  London  Wills,  F:  619). 


Ofvviy 


The   Fourth   Generation  137 

viii.    Ephraim"',  twin  to  Manasseh,  d.  aged  one  year  and  two  months. 
ix.      Lydia",  b.  April  26,  1727;  d.  June  26,  1788,  at  Stonington,  unm. 

26.  Abraham'  Avery  {Thomas',  James',  Christopher')  was 
bap.  March  6,  1692,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  March  14, 
1727,  at  Montville,  Jane  Hill,  dau.  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Shars- 
wood)  Hill  of  Montville.  She  was  bap.  March  8, 1701-2,  First  Church 
of  New  London.     Abraham  Avery  and  his  wife  were  members  of 

the  church  at  Montville.     In 
1724,  he  was  one  of  the  com- 
mittee to  lay  out  the  minister's 
^/iCZ^a^Tl^         OfWiyXzxi^;  in  1737,  he  was  one  of 

^.^  the  society's  committee;  in 
1750,  he  was  chosen  elder  of 
the  church.  He  was  prominent  in  affairs  connected  with  the  In- 
dians, being,  in  1733,  one  of  the  grand  jurors  whose  duty  it  was 
to  look  after  all  derelictions  of  the  Mohegan  Indians.  In  1746,  he 
was  one  of  the  committee  to  arrange  that  the  Indians  attend  the 
parish  church. 

He  lived  and  died  on  his  homestead  which  was  on  the  Nor- 
wich road.  North  Parish,  and  was  given  him  by  his  father,  about 
March  20,  1722,  on  condition  that  he  care  for  him  and  his  ' '  now 
spouse ' '  during  their  natural  lives  {New  London  Deeds) .  His 
wife  d.  July  26,  1744,  at  Montville.  October  1,  1751,  he  m.  at 
Montville,  Sarah  Copp,  dau.  of  Jonathan  and  Catharine  (Lay) 
Copp,  of  Montville.  She  was  b.  Dec.  3,  1712,  at  Montville. 
Abraham  Avery  d.  June  23,  1761,  at  Montville. 

Children  of  Abraham  and  Jane  (Hill)  Avery,  b.  at  Mont- 
ville: 

Jane%  b.  Dec.  3,  1727. 

Mary%  b.  Sept.  15;  d.  Oct.  3,  1729. 

Thomas%  b.  Oct.  16,  1730. 

Hannah%  b.  Oct.  31,  1732. 

RUTH%  b.  July  1,  1735. 

Jonathan',  b.  June  27,  1737. 

William  %  b.  March  7,  1739,  died  unm.  He  made  his  will  March 
28,  1770;  it  was  probated  Oct.  9,  1770,  at  Willimantic.  He 
divided  his  estate  among  sister  Jane,  wife  of  James  Chap- 
pel;  sister  Hannah,  wife  of  Daniel  Smith;  sister  Ruth, 
wife  of  Abel  Griswold;  Thomas  William,  son  of  brother 
Nathan  deceased;  brothers,  Thomas,  Jonathan,  and  Abra- 
ham {Probate  Records,  Willimantic,  Conn. ) . 


119. 

1. 

ii. 

120. 

iii. 

121. 

iv. 

122. 

V. 

123. 

vi. 

vu. 

138  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

124.  viii.    Nathan',  b.  May  6,  1741. 

125.  ix.      Abraham',  b.  July  18,  1744. 

27.  Joshua'  Avery  {Thomas\  James',  Christopher^)  was  bap. 
Aug.  25,  1695,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  Aug.  17,  1722, 
at  Norwich,  Conn.,  Jerusha  Rockwell,  dau.  of  Josiah  and  Ann 
(Bhss)  Rockwell,  of  Norwich.  She  was  b.  March  6,  1694-5,  at 
Norwich. 

December  20,  1722,  Josiah  Rockwell  deeded  19  acres  of  land 
east  on  the  Sheutucket  (?)  River  to  his  beloved  daughter,  Jerusha, 
wife  of  Joshua  Avery,  late  of  Norwich.  They  sold  this  land, 
March  26,  1728,  to  Jonathan  Brewster  {Norwich  Deeds,  4:  3  &  5: 
214).     He  was  a  member  of  First  Church,  Norwich,  Feb.  6,  1743. 

Children  of  Joshua  and  Jerusha  (Rockwell)  Avery,  b.  at  Nor- 
wich: 

126.  i.         LuCY%  b.  Sept.  12,  1728. 

127.  ii.       J0SHUA%  b.  Dec.  11,  1730;  bap.  Dec.   13,    1730,    First   Church 

of  Norwich. 

28.  Mary^  Avery  {Thomas',  James',  Christopher^)  m,  Ben- 
jamin Baker,  s.  of  Joshua  and  Hannah  (Tongue-Minter)  Baker. 
He  was  bap.  May  6,  1711,  First  Church  of  New  London. 

"  Benja.    Baker  &  Mary  Avery"   were   published  Sunday,    Aug,  3,    1718 
(Hempstead's  Diary,  p.  78) . 

Benjamin  Baker  deeded  land  that  he  had  of  his  father,  Joshua 
Baker,  to  Samuel  Avery,  April  1,  1719.  Abraham  Avery  was  one 
of  the  witnesses  {Neiv  London  Deeds,  7:306).  Benjamin  Baker 
conveyed  his  interest  in  the  common  lands  to  John  Bolles,  Feb. 
24,  1742-3,  "being  four-tenths  part  of  land  allotted  to  Joshua 
Baker,  the  elder,  deceased,  by  the  proprietors  of  New  London ' ' 
(Baker's  History  of  Montville,  p.  89). 

29.  Elizabeth*  Avery  {Thomas',  James',  Christopher^)  m. 
May  19,  1724,  at  Montville,  Conn.,  Sylvester  Baldwin,  s,  of  John 
and  Rebecca  (Palmer)  Baldwin.  His  first  wife  was  Lydia  Minor, 
whose  brother,  Thomas,  married  Hannah  Avery  (No.  25),  sister 
of  Elizabeth.  He  was  b.  March  4,  1677,  at  Stonington.  She  was 
his  second  wife.  They  lived  in  Stonington,  north  part.  She  d. 
July  17,  1728.     He  d.  about  1732,  leaving  a  large  estate. 

Children  of  Sylvester  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Baldwin,  b.  at 
Stonington: 


The   Fourth   Generation  139 

i.  Elizabeth',  b.  July  6,  1725;  m.  Feb.  1,  1744,  Capt.  Thomas  Prentice, 
s.  of  Samuel  and  Esther  (Hammond)  Prentice;  d.  Dec.  21,  1777, 
at  Stonington.     (See  No.  15). 

ii.        Mary'-,  b.  Sept.  14,  1726;    m.  Humphrey  Avery  (No.  233). 

30.  Jonathan'  Avery  {Thomas\  James',  Christopher^)  m. 
April  16,  1724,  at  New  London,  Conn. ,  Elizabeth  Waterman,  dau. 
of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Lathrop)  Waterman.  She  was  b.  Oct.  5, 
1702,  at  Norwich.  Jonathan  Avery  was  an  extensive  land  owner 
at  Norwich  and  Lisbon  (Cf.  No.  16,  ante).  John  Waterman,  out 
of  love,  deeded  to  his  beloved  son-in-law,  Jonathan  Avery,  *  'cord- 
wayner,"  twenty  rods  of  land,  Jan.  14,  1725-6.  At  the  court  held 
at  Norwich,  June  2,  1724,  Christopher  Christophers,  judge,  Jona- 
than Avery  of  Norwich  * '  hath  lysence  granted  him  to  set  up  and 
use  the  art  or  mistery  of  tanning  leather,"  December  20,  1726, 
Jonathan  Avery  was  granted  liberty  '  'to  set  his  tan  vatts  in  the 
hollow  near  his  house,  between  ye  path  and  Joseph  Waterman's 
little  orchard  fense"  {Town  Meeting  Book,  3).  He  was  fence- 
viewer  in  1735;  keeper  of  the  town  poor  the  same  year;  lister  in 
1746.  He  gave  to  each  of  his  sons,  daughters,  and  sons-in-law,  a 
liberal  amount  of  land.  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  died  Jan.  4,  1750,  at 
Norwich.  He  m.  2d,  Oct  18,  1752,  Mrs.  Dorothy  Copp,  widow  of 
Deacon  David  Copp.  Her  first  husband  was  Ebenezer  Rogers.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Capt.  Robert  and  Dorothy  (Stanton)  Denison, 
and  was  bap.  Dec.  30,  1722,  at  Norwich.  She  survived  her  third 
husband. 

Jonathan'  Avery  made  his  will  July  28,  1783;  he  called  himself 
of  Lisbon;  mentioned  wife,  Dorothy,  and  dau.,  Ann,  who  lived 
with  them;  Elizabeth,  Hannah,  Charles,  Elisha,  and  Jonathan, 
living  and  dead,  had  had  their  shares;  sons,  David  and  Uriah,  to 
have  the  lands  that  he  died  possessed  of;  David  to  pay  to  daughter 
Lucy  six  pounds,  and  Uriah  to  pay  to  daughter  Olive  six  pounds; 
son-in-law,  Charles  Guilkey  is  mentioned.  The  inventory  of  the 
estate  of  Jonathan  Avery,  late  of  Lisbon,  was  made  Sept.  28, 
1792,  the  will  having  been  probated  July  24,  1792,  at  Norwich 
(Noricich  Wills,  8:  441). 

We  are  not  sure  that  Thomas^  Avery  had  a  son  Jonathan;  the 
foregoing  is  inserted  here  in  accordance  with  the  common  belief, 
hoping  that  the  facts  in  regard  to  the  matter  may  in  time  be 
ascertained. 


140  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Waterman)  Avery,  b. 
at  Norwich: 

138.  i.  Elizabeth%  b.  Jan.  7,  1725. 

139.  ii.  Hannah%  b.  Oct.  1,  1727. 

140.  iii.  Charles',  b.  March  30,  1730. 

141.  iv.  ELISHA^  b.  April  8,  1735. 

142.  V.  Jonathan",  b.  June  6,  1743. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Dorothy  (Denison)  Avery,  b.  at 
Norwich: 

143.  i.  Ann%  b.  July  10,  1753. 

144.  ii.  LuCY%  b.  July  16,  1755. 

145.  iii.  David%  b.  Dec.  27,  1757. 

146.  iv.  Uriah%  b.  Aug.  23,  1760. 

147.  V.  Olive%  bap.  May  29,  1763,  First  Church  of  Norwich. 

31.  Charles '  Avery  (Thomas',  James',  Christopher')  was  bap. 
Oct.  27,  1706,  First  Church  of  Norwich.  He  is  supposed  to  have 
died  young.  The  town  of  Norwich  owed  Charles  Avery  2s,  for 
plank,  Jan.  4,  1726-7  (Town  Meeting  Book,  3). 

32.  Isaac*  Avery  (Thomas',  James~,  Christopher')  was  bap. 
July  17,  1709,  First  Church  of  Norwich;  m.  1731,  Elizabeth  Fox, 
dau.  of  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Brintnell)  Fox.  She  was  b.  1709. 
March  6,  1755,  Isaac  Avery  receipted  for  his  wife's  share  of  the 
estate  of  her  father,  Samuel  Fox  (New  London  Wills,  G:  100). 
February  1,  1736-7,  Hannah  Avery  deeded  all  the  land  that  she 
had  had  of  her  honored  father,  Joshua  Raymond,  to  her  son,  Isaac 
Avery  (Neiu  London  Deeds) . 

Isaac'  Avery  d.  April  3,  1777,  at  West  Stafford,  Conn.     His 
widow  d.  Oct.  27,  1803,  at  West  Stafford.     She  was  bap.  after  her 
marriage,  June  29,  1732,  at  First  Church  of  Norwich. 
Children  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Fox)  Avery: 

Margaret",  bap.  June  29,  1732,  First  Church  of  Norwich. 

Zervia\  bap.  April  8,  1733,  First  Church  of  Norwich. 

Samuel". 

Elizabeth'. 

Daniel%  b.  April  19,  1748. 

Abigail\ 

34.  Abigail'  Avery,  (John\  James',  Christopher')  was  b. 
Jan.  18,  1679,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  30,  1679,  First  Church  of  New 
London;  m.  James  Packer,  s.  of  Thomas  and  Rebecca  (Wells) 
Packer.      Rebecca  Wells   was   the   widow  of  Thomas  Latham. 


158. 

1. 

159. 

n. 

160. 

iii. 

161. 

iv. 

162. 

V. 

163. 

vi. 

The   Fourth   Generation  141 

James  Packer  was  bap.  Sept.  11,  1681,  First  Church  of  New  Lon- 
don. Mrs.  Abigail  (Avery)  Packer  d.  Nov.  10,  1722,  at  Groton, 
and  James  Packer  m.  2d,  Elizabeth  Springer,  and  3d,  Thankful 
Fanning.  He  was  deputy,  1717,  1732,  1733,  1734,  1735;  was  com- 
missioned captain,  1735  (Conn.  Col.  Rec,  6:2  &  7:363,  403,  424,  464 
&5:17  &  8:4).  He  d.  April  24,  1765,  from  a  fire  that  burned  his 
barn.  His  will  was  probated  May  10,  1765,  at  New  London.  He 
mentioned  his  wife,  Thankful;  sons,  Ichabod,  John,  and  Joseph; 
family  of  son,  James,  deceased;  dau.,  Abigail  Eldridge;  dau..  De- 
sire, wife  of  Capt.  John  Burrows;  dau.,  Freelove,  wife  of  Lemuel 
Burrows;  children  of  deceased  daughter,  Lucretia  Fish;  dau., 
Anna,  wife  of  William  Havens  of  Long  Island;  and  the  children 
of  his  later  marriage.     He  left  each  son  a  good  farm. 

Children  of  James  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Packer,  b.  at 
Groton : 

i.      IcHABOD%  b.  Jan.  15,  1707;  m.  Abigail  Eldridge;  d.    May  10,  1768,   at 

Groton. 
ii.     Abigail',  b.  Oct.  23.  1708;  m.  Thomas  Eldridge. 
iii.    James',  b.  Nov.  2,  1710;  m.  Zervia  Eldridge. 
iv.    Desire",  b.  Sept.  11,  1712;  m.  Capt.  John  Burrows. 
V.     Freelove',  b.  Jan.  20,  1715;  m.  Lemuel  Burrows, 
vi.    Lucretia',  b.  Aug.  2,  1717;  m.  John  Fish;  d.  Sept.  6,  1747,  at  Groton. 
vii.  Anna%  b.  Feb.  9,  1719;  m.  William  Havens, 
viii.  John',  b.  Sept.  16,  1720,  m.  Hannah  Avery  (No.  269). 
ix.    Joseph'; b.  Nov.  2,  1722;  m.    Eleanor  Ashley;  2d,    Esther  Morgan;  d. 
Nov.  28,  1804,  at  Groton. 

35.  Mary'  Avery  {John\  James',  Christopher^)  was  bap. 
Nov.  14,  1680,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  March,  1698, 
William  Denison,  s.  of  John  and  Phebe  (Lay)  Denison  of  Stoning- 
ton.  He  was  b.  April  7,  1677,  at  Stonington,  and  d.  Jan.  30,  1730, 
at  Stonington.  His  widow  m.  2d,  Jan.  12,  1732,  at  Stonington. 
Daniel  Palmer,  s.  of  Nehemiah  and  Hannah  (Stanton)  Palmer. 
He  was  b.  Nov.  12,  1672,  at  Stonington.  His  widow  outlived  him 
and  d.  Feb.  30,  1762,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  William  and  Mary  (Avery)  Denison,  b.  at  Ston- 
ington: 

i.        Mary',  bap.  Sep.  3,  1699;  d.  same  year. 

ii.       Mary',  bap.  June  6,   1701,    First  Church  of  Stonington;    m.  Edward 

Herrick;    she  d.   Jan.   9.   1735;  he   m.   2d,   the  widow,    Margaret 

Avery  (No.  51). 
iii.      Phebe',  bap.  June  6,  1701,  First  Church  of  Stonington;  m.  Benj.  Gile; 

2d,  Stephen  Herrick;  she  died  before  1738. 


142  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

iv.  Ann%  bap.  Dec.  2,  1710;  m.  John  Denison,  Nov.  9,  1720;  she  d.  Sept. 
15,  1721. 

V.  William",  bap.  Dec.  2,  1710;  m.  Hannah  Burrows;  2d,  Hannah  Tyler; 
d.  Jan.  29,  1760,  at  Stonington. 

vi.      Abigail',  bap.  Dec.  2,  1710;  m.  Roger  Billings. 

vii.    Lucy",  bap.  Dec.  2,  1710;  m.  John  Swan,  Jr. 

viii.  Avery",  bap.  Jan.  29,  1727,  First  Church  of  Preston;  m.  Thankful  Wil- 
liams; d.  April  3,  1775,  at  Stonington. 

ix.  Thankful",  bap.  Jan.  29,  1727,  First  Church  of  Preston;  m.  Joseph 
Billings. 

X.  Desire",  bap.  Jan.  29,  1727,  First  Church  of  Preston;  m.  John  Stanton 
of  Preston. 

xi.  Christopher",  bap.  Dec.  7,  1729,  First  Church  of  Preston;  m.  Abigail 
Tyler. 

xii.   John",  b.  Feb.  23,  1722;  m.  Martha  Wheeler. 


36.  John'   Avery,    {John'',    James',    Christopher^)    was   bap. 
April  1,  1683,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  Aug.  23,  1705,  at 
Groton,   Sarah   Denison,  dau.  of  William    and   Sarah    (Stanton) 
Denison  {David  Avery  ms. ) .     She  was  b.  April  14,  1689,  at  Ston- 
ington.    In  the  deeds  recorded  at  Groton,   this  John  Avery  is 
called  sergeant.     His  father  gave  him  several  tracts  of  land  "out 
of  love"  and  "for  his  livelihood."     On  July  17,  1705,  just  before 
his  marriage,   Capt.   John 'Avery  gave  to  his   "loving  son  John 
Avery"  80  acres  of  land  lying  upon  the  north  end  of  Poquonock 
Plain,  bounded  north  by  James  Morgan's  land  and  some  part  of  the 
brook  that  enters  into  Poquonock  Cove,  west  by  the  lands  of  John 
Daws,  southerly  '  'with  land  of  my  own, ' '  together  with   house, 
orchard,    fruit-trees,    &c. ;    also   a   grass  meadow,   both  sides  of 
Stony  Brook  on  the  east  side  of  the  great  river,  '  'which  was  given 
me  by  my  honored  father,  Capt.   James  Avery,   deceased. ' '     All 
the  waterways  were  included  in  the  gift  {Groton  Deeds,  2:148). 
John  Avery  bought  various  parcels  of  land  from  his  brothers  and 
from  others.     His  name  appears  on  the  lists  of  freemen  of  Groton, 
1708,  1712;  as  selectman  in  1724  and  1732;  and  as  surveyor  several 
terms.     He  had  the  right  to  build  a  pew  in  the  meeting-house 
gallery  in  1720,  and,  with  his  wife,  was  a  member  of  the  First 
Church  of  Groton  before  the  ordination  of  1727.     Lot  No.  17,  in 
the  division  of  the  common  lands,  was  set  off  to  him.     He  d.  in 
October,  1762  {David  Avery  ms. ) ;  his  will  was  probated  Dec.  7, 
1762,  at  New  London,     He  mentioned  wife;  eldest  son,  John;  dau., 
Sarah,  widow  of  Adam  Denison;  dau.,  Abigail,  wife  of  John  Deni- 


1(4. 

1. 

ii. 

175. 

iii. 

176. 

iv. 

177. 

V. 

vi. 

178. 

vii. 

179. 

viii 

180. 

ix. 

The    Fourth   Generation  143 

son;  dau..  Thankful,  wife  of  Benjamin  Avery;  son,  William;  and 
son,  George.     His  wife  d.  Aug.,  1774  {David  Avery  ms.). 

Children  of  John  and  Sarah  (Denison)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton  : 

JoHN%  b.  May  14,  1706. 

Anna',  b.  June  13,  1711;  d.  Sept.  25,  1720,  at  Groton. 

Sarah'',  b.  Oct.  10,  1713. 

Abigail',  b.  Dec.  25,  1715. 

Thankful',  b.  April  15,  1718;  m.  Benjamin  Avery  (No.  21). 

George",  b.  Sept.  2,  1724;  "was  killed  at  7  years  of  age  by   a 

servant  boy,  by  discharge  of  a  gun  with  grape  shot   through 

a  door"  {David  Avery  ms.). 
William"',  b.  April  1,  1726  (David  Avery  ms.). 
LucY%  bap.  June  23,  1732,  First  Church  of  Groton. 
George ',  bap.  March  20, 1737,  First  Church  of  Groton.    "George 

was  ten  years  younger  than  William,  he  was   born  when  his 

mother  was  48  years  old  ' '  (David  Avery  ms. ) . 

37.  Nathaniel'  Avery,  (John\  James',  Christopher^)  was 
bap.  June  19,  1692,  First  Church  of  New  London.  He  probably 
married  before  1721,  Rachel  Yeomans,  dau.  of  Edward  and  Mary 
Yeomans.  David  Avery  wrote  that  Nathaniel  Avery  m.  Desire 
Yeomans  and  moved  to  Walnut  Hill,  Lyme.  September  26,  1721, 
Edward  Yeomans,  in  a  deed,  mentioned  his  loving  son-in-law,  Na- 
thaniel Avery.  Nathaniel  Avery,  in  a  deed  dated  Dec.  3,  1724, 
spoke  of  land  that  he  had  bought  of  his  father-in-law,  Edward 
Yeomans,  late  of  Groton  (Groton  Deeds,  2:280).  Edward  Yeo- 
mans, late  of  Groton,  called  himself  of  Grinage  (Greenwich),  Fair- 
field Co.,  Conn.,  and,  in  1725,  spoke  of  himself  as  then  living  in 
Elizabeth,  Essex  Co. ,  Province  of  East  Jersey.  These,  and  other 
deeds,  make  it  plain  that  the  last  name  of  Nathaniel  Avery's  wife 
was  Yeomans.  David  Avery  said  the  first  name  was  Desire,  but 
the  birth  of  his  son,  Elisha,  is  recorded  at  Lyme,  Conn.,  as  the 
son  of  Nathaniel  and  Rachel  Avery.  Edward  and  Mary  Yeomans 
had  a  daughter,  Rachel,  bap.  in  the  First  Church  of  Stonington, 
July  31,  1692.  Although  Nathaniel  Avery  had  a  dau.  Desire,  the 
most  careful  search  fails  to  show  that  Edward  Yeomans  had  a 
dau.  of  that  name.  We  think,  that,  for  once,  David  Avery  was 
mistaken,  and  that  Nathaniel  Avery  married  Rachel  Yeomans. 
We  have  before  given  reasons  for  believing  that  Nathaniel  was 
born  before  his  brother  William.  Nathaniel  Avery  was  a  freeman 
of  Groton,   1712;  hence  he  was  at  least  twenty-one  years    old. 


144  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Several  times,  John^  Avery,  the  father,  deeded  land  to  his  dutiful 
sons,  Nathaniel\  William',  andElisha\  invariably  mentioning  them 
in  that  order  {Groton  Deeds,  1:329).  April  17,  1724,  Capt.  John 
Avery  of  Groton,  "out  of  love,"  deeded  to  his  dutiful  son,  Na- 
thaniel Avery  of  Groton,  "my  dwelling  house  and  land,"  30  acres 
bounded  "on  the  west  side  with  the  land  of  my  brother  Capt. 
James  Avery,"  north  by  Nehemiah  Smith's  land,  easterly  by  the 
common,  westerly  by  Poquonock  lane.  March  6,  1726-7,  Nathaniel 
Avery  deeded  land  that  he  had  of  his  honored  father,  Capt. 
John  Avery,  to  Lawrence  Stagors,  except  the  part  he  had  already 
sold  to  his  brother,  John  Avery  {Groton  Deeds,  2:90,  379).  April 
1,  1746,  Nathaniel  Avery  deeded  to  his  eldest  son,  Nathaniel,  "he 
being  of  law^ful  age, "  forty  acres  of  land  on  Walnut  Hill.  Decem- 
ber 20,  1747,  William  Avery,  son  of  Nathaniel,  bought  land  of 
Henry  Rowland;  so  he  must  have  been,  at  that  time,  at  least  twen- 
ty-one years  old.     Nathaniel  Avery  called  himself  of  Groton,  in 

deeds,  1716,  1721, 

J     r^^"^^  1726.    He  was 

y^      when   (  April  10  ) 
^^  he  bought  land  of 

Moses  Huntley.  In  1737,  he  bought  70  acres  on  Walnut  Hill;  in 
1745,  he  bought  of  Joshua  Bill,  of  South  Kingston,  50  acres  more 
on  Walnut  Hill,  and  still  more  of  Thomas  Lord,  in  1750  {Lyme 
Deeds,  6:34,  369  &  8:180,  535  &  12:169). 

Nathaniel  Avery's  will  was  made  July  1,  1769,  and  proved 
June  28,  1770.  In  it  he  mentioned  wife,  Abigail;  son,  William, 
deceased;  sons,  Andrew  and  Amos;  grandson,  Elisha,  eldest  son 
of  deceased  son,  Nathaniel,  late  of  Lyme;  dau..  Desire  Whitney, 
wife  of  John  Whitney;  granddau.,  Abigail,  wife  of  Joseph  Sweet; 
granddaus.,  Abigail  and  Hannah,  daus.  of  dau.,  Mary  Huntley, 
deceased;  grandson,  Amos,  son  of  dau.,  Mary  Merriot,  deceased 
{New  London  Wills,  J:94). 

The  children  of  Nathaniel  Avery  were  born  in  several  places; 
some  of  their  names  were  obtained  only  from  the  settlement  of 
their  father's  estate.  We  cannot  determine  the  order  of  birth, 
nor  do  we  know  whether  they  were  all  the  children  of  Rachel. 

Children  of  Nathaniel  Avery: 
181.    i.        Nathaniel'. 


182. 

ii. 

183. 

iii. 

184. 

iv. 

185. 

V. 

186. 

vi. 

187. 

vii. 

188. 

viii 

189. 

ix. 

The   Fourth   Generation  145 

William'. 

Elisha',  b.  Nov.  16,  1726,  at  Lyme. 

Mary'-,  bap.  May  4th,  1729,  at  First  Church  of  Groton. 

Andrew,  bap.  April  16,  1732,  at  First  Church  of  Groton. 

Amos". 

Desire'. 

Ann"'. 

Abigail'. 

38.  Joseph"  Avery,  {John',  James',  Christopher'')  was  bap. 
June  19,  1682,  First  Church  of  New  London.  He  died  before  May 
1,  1714,  leaving  a  widow,  Mary.  According  to  David  Avery,  he 
also  left  two  children,  Amos  and  Jerusha;  Amos  died  in  Antigua 
"heirless"  and  Jerusha  married  Ezekiel  Yarrington  of  Stonington. 
In  the  Groton  land-book  (1:263)  is  a  deed,  much  defaced  and  some 
of  it  destroyed.  Enough  remains  to  show  that  it  was  given  by 
Mary,  widow  of  Joseph  Avery,  May  1,  1714;  the  name  of  James 
Packer  occurs  on  the  deed,  but  in  what  connection  can  not  be  as- 
certained. The  record  of  the  marriage  of  Jerusha  Avery  to  Ezek- 
iel Yarrington  has  been  found;  further,  the  name  Joseph  Avery 
Yarrington  has  been  handed  down  in  that  family. 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Avery: 

190.  i.        Amos'. 

191.  ii.       Jerusha". 

39.  William'  Avery  {John\  James',  Christopher^)  was  bap. 
June  19,  1692,  at  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  March  27, 
1715,  at  Stonington,  Anne  Richardson,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Anne 
(Chesebrough)  Richardson.  She  was  b.  Nov.  12,  1688,  at  Ston- 
ington. September  18,  1714,  Capt.  John  Avery  deeded  to  his 
sons,  Nathaniel,  William,  and  Elisha,  lands  for  their  livelihood 
{Groton  Deeds,  1:329).  December  27,  1714,  William  Avery  w^as 
voted  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  Groton.  About  this  time,  he  prob- 
ably moved  to  Stonington.  September  10,  1716,  William  Avery 
deeded  land  that  he  had  of  his  honored  father  to  his  brother, 
John  {Groton  Deeds,  1:  324).  April  16,  1717,  with  his  brother, 
Elisha,  he  deeded  to  his  brother,  Nathaniel,  land  that  he  had  by 
gift  "from  my  honored  father,  Capt.  John  Avery"  {Groton  Deeds, 
1:  381).  May  25,  1718,  William  Avery  and  his  wife  owned  the 
covenant  of  the  First  Church  of  Stonington  and  had  their  son. 
Richardson,  baptized.  '  'Anne,  wife  of  William  Avery,  died  July 
5,  1729"  {Stonington  Records) . 


146  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

"June  ye  3d,  1731,  Lieutenant  William  Avery  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Walker 
were  joyned  in  marriage  at  his  house  in  Stonington,  North  Society,  by 
me,  J.  Hempstead,  Justice  of  Peace"  {Stonington  Records) . 

"Saturday  June  5,  1731.  I  maried  Lt.  Wm.  Avery  to  Sarah  Walker  ye  3d 
Instant"  (Hempstead's Diary,  p.  235). 

The  title  Mrs,  indicated  good  social  position  and  not  widowhood. 
Sarah  Walker  was  the  dau.  of  William  and  Eleanor  (Pendleton) 
Walker.  She  was  born  about  1709  and,  being  left  an  orphan  be- 
fore 1712,  was  brought  up  by  her  grandmother,  Hannah  (Goode- 
now)  Pendleton.  December  28,  1731,  William  Avery  and  Sarah, 
his  wife,  quitclaimed  to  Caleb  Pendleton  of  Westerly,  R.  I. ,  for  a 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds,  current  money,  a  certain  tract  of  land 
that  was  * '  Given  to  our  Honored  Mother,  Eleanor  Pendleton,  by 
her  father,  Mr.  James  Pendleton,  Both  Deceased."  Novembers, 
1733,  William  Avery  and  Sarah,  his  wife,  quitclaimed  to  Joseph 
Pendleton  of  Westerly,  R.  I.,  for  ten  pounds,  all  right  in  the 
estate  of  their  great  grandfather,  Brian  Pendleton,  late  of  Saco, 
deceased  (Rockingham  Co.  Records,  20:  232).  The  following  from 
the  Middlesex  Deeds,  Mass.,  vol.  37,  p.  220,  shows  the  further  an- 
cestry of  Sarah  Walker: 

Know  ye  etc.  that  We,  William  Avery  and  Sarah,  his  wife,  of  Stonington, 
in  County  of  New  London,  Colony  of  Connecticut,  yeoman,  considera- 
tion £30  "paid  by  our  Uncle  Thomas  Walker  of  Sudbury  in  the  County 
of  Middlesex,  Mass.  Bay,  N.  E.,  yeoman,  aquit,  etc.  .  .  .  grant  to 
said  Thomas  Walker,  all  right  we  have  in  real  and  personal  estate  of 
our  honored  grandfather,  William  Walker,  late  of  Sudbury,  deceased, 
died  seized  of  in  his  own  proper  right,  etc.  Habendem  in  fee.  Full 
Warrenty.  Dated  Nov.  17,  1735. 

Witnesses 

Samuel  and  Sarah  Browne. 
Ack.  Nov.  17,  1735  by  both,  before 

Hopestill  Browne,  J.  P. 
Recorded  Jan.  22,  1735.     [The  date  is  written  in  old  style,  of  course.] 

William'  Avery  seems  to  have   transferred  his  membership 
from  the  First  to  the  Second  Church  of  Stonington.     Sarah,  his 

wife,  and  Amos,  their  son,  were  bap. 
there  Sept.  23,  1733.  In  1721, 
he  and  his  brother,  Elisha,  with 
others,  petitioned  the  general  court 
that  the  meeting-house  might  be  located  on  Granoly  Hill  {Eccles, 
Docs.,  Hartford,  2:  210). 

October  1,  1727,  Sergt.   William  Avery  was  chosen   lieuten- 
ant by  the  people  of  Stonington  {Co7in.  Military  Archives,  Doc. 


PuCca-Hc^y^ 


The   Fourth   Generation  147 

368).  In  the  record  of  the  gen- 
eral assembly  is  found  the  fol- 
lowing : 

14th  of  May,  1730,  "This  assembly 
do  establish  and  confirm  Mr, 
William  Avery,  of  Stoningtown, 
to  be  Lieutenant  of  the  South 
part  of  the  Second  Company  in 
Stonington  aforesaid,  and  order 
that  he  be  commissioned  ac- 
cordingly "  {Conn.  Col.  Records, 
7:  276). 

There  was  much  trouble  be- 
tween Capt.  Ephraim  Minor  (No. 
3,  ii) ,  captain  of  this  company,  and 
his  command.  October  12,  1727, 
William  Avery  wrote  a  letter, 
signed  by  himself  and  two  others, 
exonerating  Ephraim  Minor  from 
swearing  {Conn.  Military  Ar- 
chives, 1:  374).  A  letter  from 
"J.  Talcott,  governor,  to  Lieut. 
William  Avery,  greeting,"  asked 
the  latter  to  lead  the  train-band 
to  a  choice  of  officers.  On  the 
back  of  the  document  is  an 
endorsement  by  Lieut.  William 
Avery  stating  that  he  had  done 
"7^  so    {Conn.     Military    Archives, 

^  ^gk  2:71). 

The  next   document  in   the 

archives  states  that  they  chose 

Capt.  Ephraim  Miner  captain  of 

second  company  train-band,  Sept. 

.  _^  23,  1731,  at  the  house  of  Lieut. 

»cJ    ^  ^       ***     «*^  William  Avery,  Stonington,  and 

nT^   r^     T*^^    r\  asked  that  he  be  commissioned 


4 


s^ 


v^ 


accordingly  by  the  general  court, 
which  was  done. 

November,  1720.  Mr.  William 
Avery  was  appointed  by  the  gen- 


148  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

eral  court  to  give  notice  to  the  qualified  voters  of  Stonington  to 
meet  and  to  choose  their  clerk  and  men  to  manage  their  society 
or  parish.  The  next  year,  October,  1721,  he  was  one  of  the  com- 
mittee to  collect  the  taxes. 

Feb.  17,  1745,  William  Avery  bought  land  of  William  and 
Catharine  Thompson  for  80  pounds  {Stonington  Deeds,  5:521). 
Catharine  Thompson  was  the  sister  of  his  first  wife  and  the  land 
probably  adjoined  land  that  he  had  received  from  Samuel  Rich- 
ardson, his  wife's  father.  Here,  near  the  center  of  North  Ston- 
ington, Lieutenant  William'  Avery  lived  and  died.  His  original 
will  is  on  file  in  the  probate  office  at  New  London. 

May  ye  25th,  Anno  Domino,  1754. 

In  the  name  of  God,  Amen,  I  William  Avery  of  Stonington  in  ye  County 
of  New  London,  in  the  Colony  of  Connecticut,  in  New  England,  being 
sick  and  weak  in  body  but  of  Perfect  Mind  and  memory,  Thanks  be 
given  unto  God,  and  knowing  yt  is  appointed  unto  me  once  to  Dye, 
Do  make  and  Ordain  this  my  last  will  and  Testament,  and  first  of  all  I 
recommend  my  soul  to  God  who  gave  it  and  my  Body  to  be  Buried  in  a 
decent  manner,  at  ye  direction  of  my  executors,  and  as  touching  such 
worldly  estate  as  it  hath  pleased  God  to  Give  me.  I  Give  and  dispose 
of  ye  same  in  the  following  manner:  Imprimis,  I  give  to  Sarah,  my 
beloved  Wife,  all  my  land  which  I  have  bought,  that  is  to  say,  all  my 
land  besides  yt  came  to  me  by  my  former  wife,  to  be  hers  forever.  I 
will  that  my  just  Debts  and  Funeral  charges  be  paid  and  Discharged 
in  convenient  time  after  my  decease,  and  further,  I  give  to  my  Wife, 
Sarah,  all  my  movable  estate  which  shall  remain  after  my  Funeral 
expenses  and  Legacies  are  discharged  and  paid;  I  also  give  unto  her, 
my  said  wife,  one  half  of  my  Dwelling  House,  to  wit:  The  east  part 
of  it,  that  is  to  say,  the  cellar,  the  Room  above  it,  and  the  Chamber 
and  Garret  above  them  and  the  east  part  of  the  Kitchen,  to  be  hers 
forever.  Item,  I  give  to  my  sons,  Richardson  and  William,  all  my  land 
which  was  their  mothers  (to  wit:  Anne,  my  former  wife),  and  the 
same  to  be  equally  divided  between  them. 

Item,  I  give  to  my  son  John  four  hundred  pounds  in  money. 

Item,  I  give  to  my  daughter  Anne,  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  in  money, 
she  having  had  part  of  her  portion  before,  in  Goods  and  Chattels,  &c. 
And  it  is  my  will  that  my  sons  Richardson  and  William  do  pay  unto  my 
son  John  and  my  daughter  Anne  the  portions  that  I  have  given  them. 

Item,  I  give  to  my  son  Richardson  thirty  pounds,  and  it  is  my  will  that  my 
son  William  should  pay  it  to  him. 

Item,  to  my  sons  Amos,  Christopher,  Elias,  David,  Daniel,  Benoni,  James, 
Nathaniel,  Abraham,  and  to  my  daughter  Abigail,  I  give  seven  pounds 
apiece.  And  it  is  my  will  yt  my  sons  yt  are  young  and  have  not  Trades, 
be  timely  put  to  Learn  such  trades  as  they  shall  Choose,  at  the  Discre- 
tion of  my  executors. 


The   Fourth    Generation  149 

And  I  do  hereby  Constitute  and  Ordain  my  beloved  Wife  and  my  sons  Will- 
iam and  Amos  (if  Amos  come  again  from  sea;  if  not,  then  in  his  room, 
my    son    Christopher)    to    be    my   executors  of  this  my  last  will  and 
Testament. 
In  witness  wherof  I  have  here  unto  set  my  hand  and  seal,  ye  day  and  date 

above  said. 
Signed,  Sealed,  Pronounced  and  Declared  by  ye  said  William  Avery,  to  be 
his  last  will  and  Testament  in  ye  presence  of  witnesses. 
Walter  Howit, 
Ephraim  Fellows, 
Hannah  Fellows. 

This  will  shows  that  he  was  a  just  man.  He  left  all  the  pro- 
perty that  he  had  received  with  his  first  wife  to  her  grown-up 
children.  The  property  that  he  had  made  himself  or  received  at 
his  second  marriage,  was  given  to  his  widow,  who  was  left  with 
ten  children,  the  youngest  being  five  days  old  at  the  time  the  will 
was  made.  He  desired  that  his  boys  become  useful  men  and,  to 
that  end,  made  provision  that  they  be  timely  put  to  learn  trades. 
He  appointed  as  his  executors  a  son  by  each  marriage,  they  to  act 
in  conjunction  with  his  wife.  The  inventory  was  taken  "February 
ye  18,  anno  Dom:  1755,"  and  accepted  by  the  court,  April  26, 
1755.  The  amount  of  the  estate  was  1288  pounds  and  nine  shill- 
ings, old  tenor.  Among  the  things  inventoried  were  '  1  old  Bibble 
and  Psalmbook,"  "1  hour  glass,"  looms,  wheels,  etc. 

Upon  his  death-bed,  William*  Avery  gave  his  son,  Benoni,  to 
his  cousin,  Benoni  Smith,  for  whom  he  was  named.  March  13, 
1759,  William'  Avery  and  Abigail,  his  wife,  testified  that  they 
often  heard 

"Their  Honned  Father,  Lieutenant  William  Avery,  of  Stonington,  Say  in 
the  time  of  his  Life  &  When  he  Lay  upon  his  Death-bed,  That  he 
Gave  His  Son  Benoni  Avery  to  his  Uncle  Benoni  Smith,  Esquire,  of 
Westerly,  in  Kings  County,  and  Believed  he  Would  Do  for  him  as  his 
own  Child." 

Benoni  Smith  was  a  cousin  by  marriage,  having  married  Ruth 
Pendleton.  In  a  deed,  Sarah  Walker  calls  him  '  'my  loving  bro- 
ther, Benoni  Smith." 

William'  Avery  was  buried  in  the  Old  Plain  burying-ground, 
in  North  Stonington.  His  tombstone  is  still  standing  and  reads 
as  follows: 

"In  memory  of  Liev  William  Avery  who  died  Febry  ye  8  A.  D.  1755  in  ye 
62d  year  of  his  age. ' ' 


150  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

His  son  Daniel  is  buried  near  by.     On  the  same  lot  are  several  un- 
decipherable gravestones. 

The  widow,  Sarah  Avery,  lived  many  years  after  the  death  of 
her  husband.  May  5,  1755,  her  step-children  quitclaimed  to  her 
their  rights  in  certain  lands  (Stonington  Deeds,  6:  431.)  Novem- 
ber 2,  1768,  Oliver  and  Anne  Babcock  testified  that 

"at  the  time  we  gave  a  deed  of  a  certain  tract  of  land  lying  in  said  Ston- 
ington to  Capt.  Amos  Avery,  late  of  said  Stonington,  deceased,  that 
the  said  Amos  promised  that  his  mother,  Mrs.  Sarah  Avery,  should 
have  the  use  &  improvement  of  said  land  during  her  life,  for  the  con- 
sideration that  the  said  Sarah  had  paid  to  us  about  the  one-half  of  the 
price  of  said  land,  &  further  say  not." 

February  8,  1780,  Sarah  Avery  of  Stonington,  in  considera- 
tion of  ten  pounds,  quit-claimed  to  Thomas  Swan  all  of  her  right 
in  a  certain  parcel  of  land  that  Amos  Avery,  late  of  Stonington, 
bought  of  Oliver  and  Anne  Babcock.  Sarah  Avery  testified  that 
she  had  from  Amos  Avery  a  lease  of  this  land  for  her  natural  life. 
The  deed  was  not  placed  on  record  until  April  16, 1792  {Stonington 
Deeds,  12,  321).  This  is  the  last  mention  that  we  have  of 
Sarah  (Walker)  Avery. 

Children  of  William  and  Anne    (Richardson)    Avery,  b.  at 

Stonington: 

i.         WiLLlAM%  b.  Feb.  6,  1716;  d.  Feb.  15,  1716. 
Richardson",  b.  Jan.  25,  1718. 

William',  bap.  April  5,  1724,  First  Church  of  Stonington. 
Anne%  b.  April  5,  1721. 
JOHN%  b.  April  29,  1727. 

Children  of  William  and  Sarah  (Walker)  Avery,  b.  at  Stoning- 
ton: 

196.  i.        Amos%  b.  Jan.  30,  1732-3. 

ii.  Christopher',  b.  April  1,  1734;  bap.  May  19,  1735,  Second 
Church  of  Stonington;  was  in  Major  Robert  Denison's  com- 
pany, and  was  killed  at  Johnson's  fight.  Lake  George,  Sept. 
8,  1755  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  ]  :10,  and  Avery's 
History  of  the  United  States  and  its  People,  4 :86-89) ;  unm. 

197.  iii.       Elias%  b.  July  5,  1736. 

iv.  David',  b.  Oct.  30,  1738;  bap.  Nov.  5,  1738,  Second  Church 
of  Stonington;  d.  Nov.  10,  1762,  in  the  expedition  to  Havana 
(Avery's  History  of  the  United  States  and  its  People,  4:330) ; 
unm. 

V,  Daniel%  b.  Oct.  29,  1741;  d.  May  14,  1759;  unm;  buried  in  Old 
Plain  burying-ground. 


192. 

ii. 

193. 

iii. 

194. 

iv. 

195. 

V. 

The    Fourth    Generation  151 

vi.        Benoni',  b.  Jan.  29,  1744;  d.  Nov.  7,  1762,  in  the  expedition  to 
Havana;  unm. 

198.  vii.       Abigail',  b.  April  25,  1746. 

199.  viii.     James',  b.  Dec.  27,  1748;  went  to  Liverpool,  England,  and  be- 

came a  ship  carpenter  (David  Avery  ms.). 

200.  ix,       Nathaniel',  b.  Aug.  28,  1751. 

201.  X.        Abraham  ',  b.  May  20,  1754. 

40.  Anne^  Avery  {John\  James',  Christopher')  was  bap.  June 
19,  1692,  First  Church  of  New  London;  twin  to  WilHam  (No.  39) 
{David  Avery  ms.) .  She  m.  Sept.  6,  1711,  at  Groton,  William 
Satterlee.  David  Avery  says  that  he  was  the  son  of  William  Sat- 
terlee  and  of  his  wife  who  had  been  the  widow  Weeks  of  Long 
Island.  Many  of  his  descendants  claim  that  he  was  the  son  of 
Benedict  and  Rebecca  (Bemas)  Satterlee.  Rebecca  Bemas  m.  1st, 
Tobias  Minter;  2d,  John  Dymond;  3d,  Benedict  Satterlee. 

Benedict  Satterlee  is  said  to  have  been  a  captain  in  the  British 
navy.  His  father,  the  Rev.  William  Satterlee,  M.  A.,  Pembroke 
college,  was  vicar  of  St.  Ides,  near  Exeter.  William  Satterlee 
was  a  farmer.  His  estate  was  inventoried  Sept.  12,  1733,  at  New 
London.  His  widow  m.  2d,  Judge  John  Crary  of  Plainfield 
{David  Avery  ms.)  who  d.  May  29,  1759,  aged  74  years.  The 
date  of  her  death  has  not  been  found. 

Children  of  William  and  Anne  (Avery)  Satterlee: 
1.        William',  b.  Nov.  7,  1712;  m.  Mary  Powers  of  Stonington;  d.  March, 

1752,  at  Stonington. 
ii.  Benedict',  b.  Aug.  10,  1714;  m.  1st,  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  Judge  John 
Crary  of  Plainfield;  2d,  Rachel  Park.  He  served  as  serg't  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  1755,  1756;  as  2d  lieut.,  1758;  as  1st  heut., 
1759  (French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:15,  101  &  2:63,  69,  170  and 
Conn.  Colonial  Records,  11:98,  229).  He  was  one  of  the  first  forty 
settlers  of  Wyoming,  Penn.,  and  was  lieutenant  of  militia  there. 
His  son,  Samuel,  succeeded  to  that  office,  Dec.  5,  1772. 
iii.       John',  b.  May  1,  1716;  d.  Aug.  23,  1758  in  the  campaign,  on  duty 

(French  &  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:64). 
iv.       Anne%  b.  May  16,  1718;   m.  Sylvester  Baldwin  (David  Avery  ms.); 

d.,  s.  p.,  Oct.,  1754,  at  Stonington. 
v.         Abigail',  b.  April  12,  1720;  m.  Nathan,  s.  of  Capt.  Zeptha  Clark  of 

Norwich  (David  Avery  ms.). 
vi.        Mary',   b.   June  6,   1722;  m.  Dr.  Benjamin  Blodget,  s.   of   WilHam 

Blodget  of  Stonington;  d.  Aug.  26,  1754,  at  Stonington. 
vii.       Rebecca',  b.  March  1,  1724;  m.  Wareham,  s.  of  Isaac  Williams;  d. 

March  29,  1806,  at  Stonington. 
viii.      Lucy',  b.  Jan.  6,  1725-6. 


152  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

ix.         Elisha%  m.  Mary,  dau.  of  Capt.  James  Geer  of  Stonington  {David 

Avery  vis.);  d.  Dec,  1785,  at  Stonington. 
X.  Freelove',  m.  Samuel,  s.  of  Capt.  James  Packer  of  Groton. 

xi.         Gaton',  moved  to  Rutland,  Vermont  {David  Avery  vis.). 

41.  Elisha*  Avery  {John\  James',  Christopher^)  was  bap.  May 
9,  1697,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  Nov.  3,  1714,  at  Stoning- 
ton, Elizabeth  Babcock,  dau.  of  Joseph  and  Dorothy  (Key)  Babcock. 
She  was  b.  Jan.  29,  1698,  at  Stonington.     He  was  a  member  of 

the  First  Church  of  Stonington, 
^cV^'f/  /n^  I  y^  1/  May  30,  1716  (C/2Mrc/i  i?eco?-ds). 
r/^/y^n^X^  CA^l/^-Chy     Eiisha  Avery  died  July  14,  1726, 

^  -^        of  a  blow  on  the  head  accidentally 

given  {Hempstead's  Diary,  p.  172) . 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Elizabeth  (Babcock)  Avery,  b.  at 
Stonington  and  bap.  in  the  First  Church  there: 

202.  i.        Joseph  Babcock%  b.  Dec.  19,  1715;  bap.  June  3,  1716.     A  Jos- 

eph Avery  died  abroad;  in  his  will  probated  in  the  Prerogative 
Court,  Canterbury,  England,  and  noted  in  New  London,  in 
December,  1746,  he  was  called  of  Bristol,  Great  Britain,  but 
formerly  of  Stonington,  Conn.  {New  London  Probate  Court 
Journal,  5:48).  His  will  was  dated  March  13,  1744.  In  it  he 
called  himself  a  mariner.  He  left  a  suit  of  half  mourning  each 
to  James  Vincent  and  to  Betty  Stone,  spinster;  the  rest  of  his 
estate,  to  his  friend,  Jane  Day,  who  proved  the  will  at  Canter- 
bury, July  7,  1746  (A^.  E.  Hist,  and  Gen.  Reg.,  Jan.,  1908,  p. 
93).  We  know  that  Joseph  Babcock  Avery  died  before  the 
division  of  his  brother's  estate,  March  10,  1752. 

203.  ii.        Elisha%  b,  March  30,  1717. 

204.  iii.      Abigail",  b.  July  26,  1720;  m.  2d,  William  Avery  (No.  193). 
iv.       Samuel\  b.  Dec.  8,  1723;  d.  before  March  10,  1752.    The  estate 

of  Samuel  Avery,  late  of  Stonington,  was  divided,  March  10, 
1752,  between  Elisha  and  Abigail,  the  only  surviving  brother 
and  sister  {New  London  Probate  Court  Journal,  6:113). 

205.  V.        Elizabeth',  b.  March  25,  1725;  m.  Jacob  Avery  (No.  81);  d. 

before  March  10,  1752. 

42.  Desire*  Avery  {John\  James',  Christopher^)  \Y3.shd.i).MsLy 
9,  1697,  at  the  First  Church  of  New  London.  David  Avery  says 
that  she  m.  Jeremiah  Burrows.  Jeremiah  Burrows,  son  of  John 
and  Hannah  (Culver)  Burrows,  was  bap.  at  the  First  Church  of 
Stonington,  June  22,  1690.  Jeremiah  Burrows  spoke  of  his  loving 
brother,  Ens.  John  Avery,  June  17,  1721  {Groton  Deeds,  1:578). 
Ensign  John  Avery  was  the  brother  of  Desire  Avery.     Jeremiah 


The   Fourth   Generation  153 

Burrows 's  name  is  found  in  deeds  as  late  as  Jan.  17,  1739.     No 
record  of  any  children  has  been  found. 

43.  Daniel'  Avery  {John\  James',  Christopher^)  was  bap.  Nov. 
5,  1699,  at  the  First  Church  of  New  London.  David  Avery  says 
that  he  moved  to  Oyster  Bay;  that  he  left  a  son,  Joseph,  who  lived 
at  East  Chester,  and  a  son,  Jordan,  who  lived  at  Rye.  In  book  4, 
page  93,  of  the  Groton  land  records,  is  recorded  a  deed,  dated  Dec. 
26,  1732,  and  personally  acknowledged  before  James  Morgan,  in 
which  Daniel  Avery  of  Oyster  Bay,  Queens  County,  New  York, 
deeds  all  his  right  in  a  certain  wood-lot  to  his  loving  brother,  John 
Avery,  of  Groton,  for  ten  pounds. 

Children  of  Daniel  Avery: 

206.  i.    Joseph". 

207.  ii.    Jordan'. 

46.  Mary'  Avery  {SamiieV,  James' , Christopher')  was  b.  Jan. 
10,  1695,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  5,  1695,  at  the  First  Church 
of  New  London ;  m.  June  16,  1720,  at  Groton,  William  Wals- 
worth,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Seaton)  Walsworth.  He  was 
b.  Jan.,  1694,  at  Fisher's  Island.  She  d.  May,  1739,  at  Gro- 
ton. He  m.  2d,  Sept.  23,  1742,  Elizabeth  Hinckley.  His  will 
was  made  Nov.  30,  1773;  a  codicil  was  added  Dec.  2,  1773,  at  Gro- 
ton; it  was  probated  June  14,  1774,  at  Stonington.  It  mentioned 
wife,  Elizabeth;  dau.,  Mary,  wife  of  Solomon  Morgan ;  son,  Nathan; 
son,  Elijah;  dau.,  Lucy,  wife  of  Veach  Williams;  dau.,  Susannah 
Starke;  sons,  Amos,  James,  and  Charles;  dau.,  Eunice  Smith. 
The  last  two  children  mentioned  were  by  his  second  wife. 

Children  of  William  and  Mary  (Avery)  Walsworth,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.     Mary',  b.  Sept.  29,  1721;  m.  Solomon  Morgan  (No.  12,  vii). 

ii.    Nathan',  b.  Oct.  17,  1724;  m.  Amy  Starke. 

iii.  Susannah',  b.  Oct.  22,  1726;  m.  Obadiah  Starke. 

iv.  Amos',  b.  Jan.  30,  1728;  m.  Elizabeth  Harris. 

V.    Elizabeth',  b.  1730;  d.  unm. 

vi.  Lucy',  b.  Dec.  3,  1732;  m.  Veach  Williams,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary 

(Veach)  Williams;  d.  Aug.  10,   1795,  at  Lebanon,  Conn.     He  was  a 

captain  in  the  Revolution, 
vii.  James',   b.   Sept.  2,    1734;   m.    Eunice,    dau.   of   Ichabod  and  Abigail 

(Eldridge)  Packer  (No.  34,  i);  d.  1795,  at  Rome,  N.  Y. 
viii.  Abigail',  b.  Nov.  29,  1736. 
ix.    Elijah',  b.  1738;  m.   Desire,  dau.   of  Ichabod  and  Abigail  (Eldridge) 

Packer  (No.  34,  i). 


154  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

47.  Christopher  *  Avery  {SamueV,  James',  Christopher^)  was 
b.  Feb.  10,  1697,  at  Groton;  bap.  May  2,  1697,  at  First  Church  of 
New  London;  m.  June  25,  1719,  at  Groton,  Mary  Latham,  dau.  of 
William  and  Hannah  (Morgan)  Latham.  She  was  b.  Feb.  18, 
1698-9,  at  Groton. 

Christopher^  Avery  was  an  important  man  in  the  colony. 
He  became  town  clerk  after  the  death  of  his  father  and  held 
the  office  over  forty  years,  until  his  own  death  in  1768.  April 
27,  1736,  he  was  one  of  a  committee  to  prepare  a  memorial  to 
the  general  assembly  asking  for  a  more  commodious  ferry. 
In  October,  1736,  he  and  his  brother,  Humphrey,  with  others, 
petitioned  against  the  officers  chosen  for  the  northeast  com- 
pany of  Groton.  Among  the  reasons  given  for  their  objection 
were  that  some  of  the  officers  were  young  men;  that  some  be- 

longed  to  the  church  of  England ;  that  the  church  at  Groton 
was  having  trouble  about  the  church  of  England.  The  general 
assembly,  however,  confirmed  the  officers  {Military  Docs.,  2:269). 
The  general  assembly  commissioned  him  captain  of  the  second 
company  of  the  Groton  train-band,  1735 ;  lieutenant-colonel  of 
the  eighth  militia,  1739,  and  colonel  of  the  same  regiment,  1746, 
(Conn.  Col.  Rec,  8:3,  280  &  9:256),  succeeding  Ebenezer  Avery 
(No.  14) .  In  1739,  he  was  appointed  on  a  committee  to  get  ten 
good  cannons,  guns  for  a  sloop,  and  gunpowder  for  New  London, 
for  coast  defense;  they  were  authorized  to  spend  1100  pounds  for 
that  purpose.  In  October,  1755,  he  was  on  a  committee  to  get  new 
carriages  for  the  New  London  cannons;  in  March,  1756,  he  was 
one  of  the  committee  to  receive  and  transport  all  warlike  supplies 
to  Lake  George  in  the  war  against  the  French.  We  find  the  fol- 
lowing document  relating  to  the  campaign  of  1757: 

Dr.  of  the  Colony  of  Connecticut  to  Nathan  Leonard  Capt.  of  ye  company 
under  his  command  in  Colol  Christopher  Avry's  Ridgment  for  their 
sarvis  at  ye  time  of  ye  alarm  for  ye  Reliefe  of  fort  william  Henry  and 


The   Fourth    Generation  155 

places   adjisent  &c  — August,   1757    {French  and  Indian   War  Rolls, 
2:232). 

He  was  equally  prominent  in  other  lines.  He  was  deputy 
from  Groton,  1736  to  1764  inclusive,  and  was  speaker  in  1751.  He 
was  justice  of  the  peace  from  1732  to  1768  and,  during  many  of 
the  terms,  made  one  of  the  quorum.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
committee  to  audit  the  books  of  the  colony  in  1744  and  1746.  He 
had  some  modern  ideas  concerning  taxation  for,  in  conjunction 
with  his  brother,  Humphrey,  and  Christopher  Avery  of  the  North 
Parish,  he  petitioned  the  general  assembly  that  the  unimproved 
lands  should  be  taxed.  He  was  one  of  the  first  proprietors  of  the 
Susquehanna  company,  having  become  one  in  1754. 

In  his  will,  made  Nov.  3,  1767,  he  mentioned  wife,  Margaret; 
son,  William;  dau.,  Deborah,  wife  of  Jasper  Latham;  dau.,  Mar- 
garet, wife  of  David  Lester;  dau.,  Rebecca,  wife  of  Nathan  Lester; 
children  of  dau.,  Susannah,  deceased,  wife  of  Oliver Woodbridge, 
viz.,  Mary,  Ebenezer,  Christopher,  and  Oliver  Woodbridge;  grand- 
children, Lucy,  Peter,  and  William  Bulkley,  children  of  dau.,  Lucy, 
deceased  {Stonington  Wills,  1:34).  From  this  will  it  appears  that 
he  had  a  second  wife  who  outlived  him,  but  her  name  has  not 
been  recovered. 

The  tombstones  of  Christopher  Avery  and  his  first  wife  are 
standing  in  the  Starr  cemetery,  Groton. 

Mary,  wife  of  Christopher  Avery,  died  August  14,  1754,  in  the  56  year  of 
her  age. 

Christopher  Avery,  Esq. ,  Colonel  of  the  8th  regiment  of  militia,  departed 
this  life,  Jan'y  17,  1768,  aged  71  years. 

Children  of  Christopher  and  Mary  (Latham)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton: 

Samuel%  b.  March  1,  1720;  d.  Feb.  13,  1749;  unm. 

LUCY%  b.  April  13,  1722. 

WlLLlAM%  b.  Nov.  25,  1724. 

Mary',  b.  Feb.  6,  1726;  d.  Aug.  22,  1727,  at  Groton. 

Susannah',  b.  Oct.  14,  1728. 

Deborah',  b.  June  5,  1731. 

Sarah%  b.  Feb.  28,  1733;  "Sarah  Avery,  daughter  of  Christo- 
pher and  Mary  Avery,  deceased  August  2,  1759,  aged  25" 
(Groton  Records). 
viii.  Hannah"',  b.  March  19,  1735;  "Hannah  Avery,  daughter  of 
Christopher  and  Mary  Avery,  deceased  March  5,  1761,  aged  25" 
(Groton  Records). 


1. 

227. 

ii. 

228. 

iii. 

iv. 

229. 

v. 

230. 

vi. 

vu 

156  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

231.  ix.     Margaret',  b.  March  12,  1738. 

232.  X.      Rebecca",  b.  Dec.  24,  1741. 

xi.     Mary",  b.  Nov.  1,  1744;  d.  Aug.  10,  1754,  at  Groton. 

48.  Humphrey'  Axery  (Samuer,  James',  Christopher^)  wash. 
July  4,  1699,  at  Groton;  bap.  Aug.  20,  1699,  First  Church  of  New 
London;  m.  Feb.  5,  1724,  at  Groton,  Jerusha  Morgan,  dau.  of 
WiHiam  and  Margaret  (Avery)  Morgan  (No.  12).  She  was  b. 
July  14,  1704,  at  Groton.  Humphrey  Avery  was  a  freeman  of 
Groton.  In  deeds  given  and  received,  he  called  himself  a  carpen- 
ter. He  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  New  London  County,  1733, 
1737,  1740,  1742,  and  as  such  was  ordered,  with  others,  ' '  To  per- 
ambulate the  dividend  boundary  line"  between  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island  and  to  set  up  the  monuments.  He  was  deputy  from 
Groton  from  1733  to  1735  inclusive,  1738,  1740,  1741,  1743  (Conn. 
Col.  Rec.,  7:403,  420,  424,  464,  482,  545  &  8  :  28,  81,  159.  188, 
224,  551).  He  was  deacon,  1730;  tythingman,  1730;  lister,  1732; 
selectman,  1736.  February  12,  1738,  he  was  appointed  to  defend 
Groton' s  rights  at  the  ferry.  May  5,  1741,  he  and  Christopher 
Avery  were  members  of  a  committee  to  collect  money  from  the 
M  ^  y  y/  sale  of  western  lands 

>^/-i^'^<^7^^^>^^^^^     6^^nlU,M^^    belonging      to      the 

^  I       was     deputy     from 

May  10. 1722.  Prestou,     to     whlch 

place  he  had  moved  about  1745.  He  called  himself  of  Preston, 
Feb.  4,  1750,  at  which  time  he  sold  land  in  a  new  township  north 
of  Wendellstown,  Mass.,  to  Bartholomew  Arthur;  Feb.  13,  1751, 
he  sold  land  in  the  same  township  to  John  Maclewean;  also  to 
Daniel  Lothrop  and  to  Obadiah  Gore  {Spynngfield  Deeds,  U:  150, 
337  &  X;  542,  544).  He  was  one  of  the  Susquehanna  company. 
Wyoming  Valley,  on  the  Susquehanna  River,  was  purchased  by 
the  Connecticut  Susquehanna  Company  from  the  Six  Nations  in 
1754.  In  1769,  a  body  of  forty  Connecticut  pioneers  came  to  this 
region,  but  found  the  Pennsylvanians  on  the  ground,  the  Indians 
having  sold  them  the  same  tract  the  year  before.  From  that  time 
until  the  Revolution  the  conflicts  between  the  two  parties  were 
numerous  and  bitter.  Humphrey  Avery  and  all  of  his  sons  owned 
shares  in  this  company. 

Humphrey^  Avery  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Winthrop's 
Patent,  Long  Island,  stretching  four  miles  along  South  Bay  and 


The   Fourth   Generation  157 

extending  seven  miles  back  into  the  interior.  Becoming  involved 
in  debt  by  fire  and  sickness,  he  procured  the  passage  of  an  act  by 
the  New  York  legislature  in  1756,  authorizing  him  to  dispose  of 
his  lands  by  lottery  to  pay  his  debts.  The  estate  was  appraised 
at  £6.900.  There  were  in  the  lottery  1,616  prizes  to  6,384  blanks, 
making  8,000  tickets  sold  at  30  shillings  each.  There  were  1,580 
cash  prizes  at  £3  each;  the  land  was  cut  into  thirty-six  parts,  each 
of  which  was  a  land  prize.  The  tract  abounded  in  pine  timber 
with  a  fine  range  for  sheep  and  cattle;  was  divided  by  creeks  into 
seven  necks.  Pine  Neck,  Swan  Creek  Neck,  Pachoug  Neck,  Short 
Neck,  Smith  Neck,  Tooker's  Neck,  and  Blue  Point  Neck.  It  had 
on  it  four  houses,  a  grist  mill,  and  a  saw  mill. 

In  1762,  Humphrey  Avery  bought  of  Col.  John  Henry  Lydius 
one  seventy-sixth  part  of  township  16,  at  Otter  Creek,  where  it 
empties  itself  into  Lake  Champlain.  The  price  was  one  shilling 
in  hand,  and  annually,  for  twenty  years,  one  pepper  corn;  the  im- 
provement of  the  land  within  the  twenty  years;  and  after  that 
five  shillings  for  each  hundred  acres  of  arable  land  to  be  paid  to 
Lydius  or  his  heirs  or  assigns  annually  forever. 

Humphrey  Avery's  wife  died  Sept.  20,  1763,  at  Groton.  He 
married  2d,  Martha  Coil,  dau.  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  and  Experience 
(Wheeler)  Coit,  b.  about  1713.  At  the  time  of  his  second  marriage 
he  was  living  in  Windham.  He  was  one  of  the  grantees  of  Chis- 
wick,  1764  (Netv  Hampshire  State  Papers,  vol.  25;  260).  His  wife 
becam.e  a  member  of  the  Separatist  Church  of  Preston,  April  13. 
1777. 

Humphrey"  Avery,  in  his  will,  dated  Nov.  17,  1768,  mentioned 
wife,  Martha;  his  son  Christopher,  who  was  to  pay  to  each  of  the 
other  children  five  York  shillings,  and  receive  the  estate  which 
was  large.  Among  other  lands,  the  estate  included  land  lying  in 
the  colony  of  Connecticut;  the  Otter  Creek  patent  near  Lake 
Champlain;  "at  the  Susquehannah;"  "at  Delaware;"  "at  Lacka- 
wack;"  "inevery  part  of  the  Nova  Scotia;"  "in  the  Ohio  Country;" 
and  "in  any  part  of  North  America  that  belongs  to  me."  His 
son,  Palmes,  of  weak  mind,  was  to  be  cared  for  by  Christopher. 
Humphrey  Avery  died  March  28,  1788,  at  Groton;  his  will  was 
proved  at  Norwich,  May  20,  1788  (Norwich  Wills,  6;  245). 

Children  of  Humphrey  and  Jerusha  (Morgan)  Avery,  all  ex- 
cepting Nathan,  b.  at  Groton; 

233.    i.        Humphrey',  b.  March  10,  1725. 


'ZM. 

11. 

iii. 

235. 

iv. 

236. 

V. 

237. 

vi. 

238. 

vii. 

Vlll 

239. 

ix. 

240. 

X. 

241. 

xi. 

xu. 

158  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

William  ,  b.  Sept.  13,  1726. 

Solomon",  b.  July  17,  1728;  d.  Aug.,  1728. 

Solomon',  b.  June  17,  1729. 

Samuel%  b.  Oct.  17,  1731. 

James%  b.  Aug.  13,  1733. 

Jerusha',  b.  June  7,  1735;  m.  Latham  Avery  (No.  273). 

Palmes%  b.  April  3,  1737;  d.  after  1795;  unm. 

Christopher',  b.  May  3,  1739. 

Waightstill',  b.  May  10,  1741. 

ISAAC\  b.  Oct.  27,  1743. 

Nathan',  b.  Nov.  20,  1746,  at  Preston;  d.  July,  1747, 

50.  Lucy' Avery,  (Samuer,  James',  Christopher^)  wasb.  April 
17,  1703;  bap.  Sept.  5,  1703,  First  Church  of  New  London.  She 
deeded  land  in  Groton,  June  6,  1721. 

51.  Waitstiir  Avery,  (Samuer,  James',  Christopher^)  was  b. 
March  27,  1708,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  18,  1729,  at  Groton,  Deborah 
Williams,  dau.  of  Richard  and  Sarah  Williams.  She  d.  March 
15,  1729-30,  at  Groton.  In  his  will,  made  June  29,  1733,  Richard 
Williams  mentioned  wife,  Sarah,  and  his  son,  Waitstill  Avery 
(Netv  London  Wills,  0:678).  Waitstill  Avery  m.  2d,  Dec,  1730, 
Margaret  Childs. 

Waitstill  Avery,  joiner,  deeded  to  his  brother,  Christopher, 
land  that  he  inherited  from  his  brother,  Samuel,  Sept.  10,  1729 
(Groton  Deeds,  2:438).  In  the  record  of  the  baptism  of  his  daugh- 
ter, Mary,  he  is  called  of  the  North  Society.  He  d.  before  Nov. 
7,  1737,  when  the  inventory  of  his  estate  was  taken  at  New  Lon- 
don. November  8,  1737,  his  widow  gave  bond,  with  Edward  Her- 
rick,  for  two  hundred  pounds  for  the  proper  administration  of  his 
estate  (New  London  Wills,  D:  299).  December  9,  1737,  she  m. 
Edward  Herrick;  they  lived  in  the  part  of  Preston  now  called 
Griswold.  They  had  a  large  family  of  children.  Edward  Herrick 
had  previously  m.  Mary  Denison,  dau.  of  William  and  Mary 
(Avery)  Denison  (No.  35,  ii). 

Children  of  Waitstill  and  Margaret  (Childs)  Avery,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

250.  i.         Charles%  b.  Oct.  22,  1731. 

251.  ii.        Mary%  b.  Nov.  6,  1733;  bap.  June  9, 1734,  First  Church  of  Groton. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  FIFTH   GENERATION. 

53.  James  Avery  (Ja?7ies\  James\  James',  Christopher^)  was 
b.  May  27,  1697,  at  Groton ;  bap.  Aug.  29,  1697,  First  Church  of 
of  New  London;  m.  Dec.  13,  1719,  at  Groton,  Elizabeth  Smith, 
dau.  of  Nehemiah  and  Dorothy  (Wheeler)  Smith.  She  was  b. 
Nov.  17,  1700,  at  Groton.  He  was  tythingman,  1730;  constable, 
1733;  justice  of  the  peace  from  1736  to  1741;  deputy  to  the  gen- 

^     r)     eral  court,   1736,  1737; 

/a.r^  ^Of%^  f:  r "ofthrtstlm: 

C^''^  tary  company  of  Gro_ 

ton,  Oct.,  1738  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  8:  195).  His  commission,  signed 
by  Gov.  Talcott,  is  in  the  possession  of  the  family.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  school  committee,  1745;  deacon  of  the  First 
Church  of  Groton,  1748.  In  his  will,  dated  April  30,  1759,  he  men_ 
tioned  wife,  Elizabeth;  sons,  James,  David,  Peter,  John,  and 
Aaron,  to  each  of  whom  he  gave  a  farm,  and  among  whom  he  di- 
vided his  swords  and  arms,  giving  to  James  his  "Silvered  Helted 
Swoard;"  daus.,  Elizabeth  Starr,  Prudence  Avery,  and  Hannah 
Avery  {Neiv  London  Wills,  G:367).  He  died  May  2,  1759,  at 
Groton;  his  wife  died  April  17,  1761,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

James%  b.  July  27,  1724. 

Elizabeth",  b.  Jan.  13,  1725-6. 

David'  ,  b.  Feb.  11,  1728. 

Peter",  b.  Feb.  22,  1730. 

Prudence",  b.  March  16,  1732;  m.  2d,  Elijah  Avery  (No.  266). 

Hannah",  b.  Dec.  15,  1735;  d.  May  27,  1822,  at  Groton;  unm. 

John",  b.  Jan.  24,  1738. 

Aaron",  b.  Jan,  16,  1741;  served  in  Hubbard  Burrows's  com- 
pany of  militia  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Revolution,  p.  451);  d. 
March  10,  1777,  at  Groton;  unm. 

54.  John"  Avery  (James\  James\  James',  Christopher^)  was 
b.  Feb.  4,  1700,  at  Groton;  bap.  May  26,   1700,   First  Church  of 


260. 

1, 

261. 

ii. 

262. 

iii. 

263. 

iv. 

264. 

V. 

vi. 

265. 

vii. 

viii 

160  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

New  London,  "in  right  of  his  mother,"  his  father  having  signed 
the  remonstrance  (p.  87) ;  m.  Elizabeth  Morgan,  dau.  of  William 
and  Margaret  (Avery)  Morgan  (No.  12).  She  was  b.  July  10, 
1710,  at  Groton;  she  d.  May  18,  1749,  at  Groton.  John  Avery  m. 
2d,  Mary  Dennis. 

"Mr.  John  Avery  jr.  and  Miss  Mary  Dennis  of  Stonington  were  married 
June  13,  1751,  by  Nath.  Eells,  minister  of  the  gospel"  {Groton  Records, 
1:162). 

She  was  the  daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Sarah  (Hough)  Den- 
nis, and  was  b,  April  5,  1713,  at  New  London.  Mr.  Sweet's  sup- 
position that  the  John  Avery  who  married  Mary  Dennis  had,  for 
his  second  wife,  Anne  Miner  (No.  195)  is  not  correct.  John 
Avery  (No.  195)  who  married  Anne  Miner  lived  many  years  and 
left  a  large  family;  according  to  the  Groton  records,  the  John 
Avery  who  married  Mary  Dennis  d.  July  11,  1759;  this  John 
Avery,  the  son  of  James  (No.  11)  did  die  at  that  time.  The 
David  Avery  ms.  and  the  New  London  probate  records  confirm 
this  statement;  the  descendants  of  the  other  John  Avery  (No. 
195)  disclaim  any  Mary  Dennis. 

John'  Avery  was  several  times  selectman  of  Groton  and 
several  times  surveyor.  January  8,  1751,  he  was  made  guardian 
of  his  children,  Elijah,  Amos,  and  Caleb,  who  inherited  property 
through  their  mother  {New  London  Court  Journal,  6:100).  He 
died  July  11,  1759,  at  Groton.  March  1,  1760,  his  estate  was  di- 
vided among  his  heirs — the  widow,  Mary  Avery,  receiving  her 
right  in  the  homestead  farm;  Elijah,  her  "son-in-law,"  "the 
oldest  son  of  John  Avery,  deceased,"  a  part  of  the  homestead 
farm;  Amos  Avery,  second  son,  a  share;  Mary  Avery,  only 
daughter,  a  share;  Jabez  Avery,  minor,  third  son,  a  share  {Neiv 
London  Court  Journal).  Mary  (Dennis)  Avery  was  made 
guardian  of  Mary  and  Jabez  Avery,  children  of  John  Avery,  late 
of  Groton,  Sept.  11,  1759.  Jabez  Avery,  son  of  John  Avery,  late 
of  Groton,  aged  16,  chose  Ebenezer  Witter  for  his  guardian.  May 
1,  1772.  Mrs.  Mary  (Dennis)  Avery  m.  2d,  Joseph  Witter  of  Pres- 
ton, Nov.  6,  1760  {Preston  Reco7'ds) . 

Children  of  John  and  Elizabeth   (Morgan)   Avery,   bap.   First 

Church  of  Groton: 

i.         John",  bap.  April  15, 1731;  died  young, 
ii.        Griswold",  bap.  July  30,  1732;  d.  before  1750. 
266.    iii.      Elijah",  bap.  Sept.  15,  1734. 


The   Fifth    Generation  161 

iv.       John",  bap.  Aug.  21,  1737;  d.  before  1750. 

V.        Caleb",  bap.  April  13,  1740;  d.  between  1756  and  1760. 

267.  vi.      Amos",  bap.  March  6,  1743. 

Children  of  John  and  Mary  (Dennis)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

268.  i.         Mary",  b.  June  21,  1753;  m.  Jonas  Avery  (No.  326) ;  m.  2d,  Sam- 

uel Avery  (No.  560). 
ii.  Jabez",  b.  Aug.  12,  1756;  d.  before  March  26,  1777,  when  his 
sister,  Mary  Avery,  administered  his  estate;  he  d.  unm., 
and  his  estate  was  divided  among  his  brothers,  Elijah  and 
Amos,  and  his  sister,  Mary,  except  "his  right  in  the  thirds 
of  the  lands  and  buildings  of  his  father's  estate,  set  off  to 
his  mother,  Mrs.  Witter  of  Preston"  {Stonington  Wills,  3: 
47). 

55.  Ebenezer'  Avery  (James^,  James\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  March  29,  1704,  at  Groton;  bap.  July  9,  1704,  First  Church 
of  New  London;  m.  Jan.  16,  1726,  at  Groton,  Lucy  Latham,  dau. 
of  William  and  Hannah  (Morgan)  Latham.  She  was  b.  May  21, 
1709,  at  Groton.  Her  father  gave  her  a  negro  girl,  Phebe,  to  be 
a  "perpetual  slave  to  her  forever"  {Groton  Deeds,  3:  5).  Ebe- 
nezer'  Avery  was  juryman,  1736;  constable,  1737;  selectman, 
1744,  1748  to  1753  inclusive;  moderator,  1744,  1753.  He  was  com- 
missioned ensign  of  the  first  Groton  company,  May,  1741 ;  lieuten- 
ant, Oct.,  1748;  captain,  May,  1749;  major  of  the  eighth  regi- 
ment. May,  1768;  lieutenant-colonel,  Oct.  1770,  succeeding  Chris- 
topher Avery  (No.  47);  resigned  command  of  the  regiment, 
Oct.  1776,  being  too  old  to  leave  the  state  on  active  service 
(Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  8:  369  &  9:  389,  424  &  13:  9,  372).  He  was 
deputy  to  the  general  court  many  times,  1746,  1748,  1750,  1752, 
1754,  1763,  1764,  1768  {Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  9:  238,  261,  384,  546  & 
10:  120,  241  &  12:  189,  231,  295  &  13:3).  He  was  justice  of 
the  peace  from  May,  1754,  to  May,  1759,  inclusive,  and  from 
May,  1762,  to  May,  1772,  inclusive.  He  owned  a  large  tract 
of  land  in  South  Groton  adjoining  that  of  his  father.  He  was 
one  of  the  grantees  of  Stowe,  New  Hampshire,  1763.  He  served 
on  many  important  committees  connected  with  the  First  Church 
of  Groton,  being  often  chosen  moderator  of  the  church  meetings. 
Year  after  year,  he  was  one  of  the  "Society's  Committee." 
He  was  chosen  deacon,  Aug.  2,  1759,  succeeding  his  deceased 
brother,  James.  When  the  new  meeting-house  was  built  1771, 
"Col.  Ebenezer  Avery"  was  given  pew  No.  1,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  broad  alley,  for  which  he  paid  seven  pounds. 


162  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

His  first  wife  died  May  2,  1758,  at  Groton.  He  m.  2d,  Nov. 
21,  1759,  at  New  London,  Mrs.  Rachel  Denison,  dau.  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Morgan)  Starr,  and  widow  of  Daniel  Denison.  She 
was  b.  Sept.  15,  1705.  Two  of  her  children,  Daniel  and  Phebe 
Denison,  m.  two  of  the  children  of  her  second  husband,  Ebenezer 
Avery.     Ebenezer'  Avery  d.  July  11,  1780,  at  Groton. 

Groton,  July  25,  1780. 

Mr.  Green, 

Please  to  give  the  following  a  place  in  your  next  paper: 

On  Tuesday  the  11th  Instant  departed  this  Life,  Col.  Ebenezer  Avery,  in 
the  77th  year  of  his  Age.  A  Gentleman  possessed  of  a  sensible  and 
judicious  Mind  which  furnished  him  for  uncommon  Usefullness  in  his 
Day  and  early  introduced  him  to  public  Employment.  For  many  years 
he  served  the  Town  in  various  Capacities,  frequently  representing  it  to 
the  general  Assembly,  from  which  he  received  a  Commission  for  the 
Peace,  which  he  used  to  suppress  Vice,  and  promote  Peace  and  good 
Order.  His  Genius  so  peculiarly  fitted  him  for  the  Service  of  his 
Country,  that  he  was  employed  in  Military  Offices  'till  he  was  honored 
with  the  Rank  of  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  to  which  he  belonged;  all  of 
which  he  filled  up  with  Integrity  and  Honor;  his  Wisdom,  Fidelity  and 
Generosity  procuring  him  universal  Veneration  and  Esteem.  Yet  he 
excelled  in  the  devout  and  religious  Life,  being  a  faithful  Servant  of 
God,  a  cordial  Friend  of  Christ  and  Mankind  and  honoring  Religion. 

From  the  New  London  Gazette,  Friday,  Aug.  4,  1780. 

Printed  by  Timothy  Green,  near  the  Court  House. 

Ebenezer  ■  Avery,  in  his  will  made  Feb.  22,  1775,  mentioned 
sons,  Ebenezer,  Latham,  Griswold,  Elihu;  daus.,  Hannah  Parke, 
Lucy  Colfax,  Mary  Billings,  Katharine  Denison,  Deborah  Avery, 
Rachel  Eldridge  (Stonington  Wills,  3:  225).  His  second  wife  d. 
Feb.  4,  1791,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Lucy  (Latham)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton: 

Hannah",  b.  Jan.  10,  1727. 

Lucy",  b.  Jan.  27,  1729. 

Mary%  b.  Nov.  30,  1730. 

Ebenezer",  b.  March  7,  1732. 

Latham",  b.  April  15,  1735. 

Katherine",  b.  June  9,  1737. 

Griswold  ,  b.  Sept.  15,  1739. 

Deborah",  b.  Feb.  1,  1742;  m.  Daniel  Avery  (No.  99). 

Rachel",  b.  Sept.  8,  1745. 

Elizabeth",  b.  Jan.  22,  1747;  d.  Oct.  15,  1765. 

Abigail",  b.  Feb.  24,  1752;  d.  Oct.  13,  1753. 

Elihu",  b.  April  6,  1755. 


269. 

1, 

270. 

ii. 

271. 

iii. 

272. 

iv. 

273. 

V. 

274. 

vi. 

275. 

vii. 

276. 

viii 

277. 

ix. 

X. 

xi. 

278. 

xii. 

The    Fifth    Generation  163 

57.  Hannah'  Avery  {James',  James',  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  April  7,  1712,  at  Groton;  m.  May  22,  1734,  the  Rev. 
Theophilus  Hall,  son  of  Samuel  and  Love  (Royce)  Hall  of  Wall- 
ingford,  Conn.  He  was  b.  April,  1707,  at  Wallingford.  He  was 
of  Yale  College,  1727;  ordained  at  Meriden,  Conn.,  1729;  minister 
of  that  place  for  thirty-seven  years. 

Several  Hannah  Averys  have  been  mentioned  as  the  wife  of 
the  Rev.  Theophilus  Hall  but  that  it  was  this  Hannah  is  proved  by 
the  following: 

James  Avery  (No.  11),  in  his  will  dated  March  28,  1749,  men- 
tioned his  daughter,  Hannah  Hall  {New  London  Wills,  F:535). 

Joshua  Hempstead,  in  his  diary  (p.  613),  has  the  following 
notice  under  date  of  Aug.  15,  1753: 

' '  2  young  woemen  Died  1  belonging  to  Colchester  Named  Sarah  Church 
and  ye  other  to  Wallingford  Daughter  of  the  Revd  Mr.  Hall  &  Grand- 
daughter of  Capt  James  Avery  of  Groton." 

This,  the  oldest  daughter  of  Theophilus  and  Hannah  (Avery) 
Hall,  was  buried  in  the  "Ancientiest  burying-ground"  of  New 
London.  Theophilus  Hall  died  March  25,  1767,  at  Meriden,  Conn. 
Children  of  Theophilus  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Hall,  b.  at  Mer- 
iden: 

i.       Hannah",  b.  March  11,  1735;  d.  Aug.  15,  1753,  at  Meriden;  unm. 

ii.      Theophilus",  b.  Aug.  5,  1736;  d.  May  9,  1739,  at  Meriden. 

iii.     Avery",   b.  Dec.  2,  1737;  Yale,  1759;  minister  in  Rochester,   N.   H., 

1766  to  1775;  signed  the   "Association  Test"  in  Rochester,   1776; 

selectman  of  Wakefield,  N.  H.,  1779,  1781,  1785;  justice  of  the  peace 

for  Stafford  County,  1786;  d.  1820. 
iv.      Samuel",  b.  July  16,  1739;  m.  Eunice  Lee. 
V.      Theophilus",  b.  Aug.  26,  1741;  m.  Elizabeth  Couch;  served  in  Capt. 

Wales's   company,  1777  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Revolution,  p.  508) ;  d. 

May  17,  1804,  at  Meriden. 
vi.     Lucy",  twin  to  Theophilus. 
vii.    Mary",  b.  June  24,  1743. 
viii.  Elisha",  d.  young. 

ix.      Elisha",  b.  March  3,  1745;  m.  Ann  Hopkins;  d.  March  13,  1779. 
X.       Mehitabel",  b.  1751;  d.  Sept.  11,  1767,  at  Meriden, 

58.  Joanna'  Avery  {Edtvard*,  James',  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Nov.  21,  1700,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb.  13,  1724,  at  Groton, 
Mark  Stoddard,  s.  of  Ralph  and  Mary  (Ames)  Stoddard.  He  was 
b.  Feb.  11,  1702,  at  Groton.  He  was  a  farmer.  He  d.  Jan.  27, 
1725,  at  Groton.     She  m.  2d,  1726,  Joshua  Allen,  s.   of  John  and 


164  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Anne  Allen.  The  marriage  record  appears  on  the  New  London 
church  book  between  Jan.  and  March,  1726,  but  neither  day  nor 
month  is  given.  He  was  b.  Feb.  14,  1703,  at  Groton.  He  was 
bap.  with  his  oldest  child,  at  First  Church  of  Groton,  Feb.  11, 
1727-8. 

In  his  will,  dated  1751,  Edward^  Avery,  father  of  Joanna,  men- 
tioned granddaughters,  Joanna  Allyn  and  Hannah  Allyn,  but  did 
not  mention  his  granddaughter,  Mary  Stoddard. 

Children  of  Mark  and  Joanna  (Avery)  Stoddard,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.  Mary%  b.  Aug.  4,  1725.  May  2,  1728,  in  the  distribution  of  the  estate 
of  Mark  Stoddard,  Mary  was  called  the  only  child.  Dec.  10,  1734, 
Edward  Avery  was  made  guardian  of  Mary,  only  child  of  Mark 
Stoddard,  deceased  (Netv  London  Wills,  C).  April  6,  1747,  Mary 
Stoddard,  only  surviving  child  of  Mark  Stoddard,  deceased,  sold  a 
parcel  of  land  that  came  to  her  from  her  father  {Groton  Deeds, 
5:56). 

Children  of  Joshua  and  Joanna  (Avery)  Allen,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.       Joanna',  bap.   Feb.   11,   1727,    First  Church  of  Groton;  m.   Thomas 

Fatton,  Oct.  9,  1753. 
ii.      Hannah%  m.  Needham;  receipts  under  that  name  for  her  part 

in  her  grandfather's  estate  "as  aterne  for  my  husband,"  but  his 

name  is  not  given  {Neiv  London  Wills,  G:370) . 
iii.     Lucy",  bap.  March  4,  1734,  First  Church  of  Groton;  not  mentioned  in 

her  grandfather's  will. 

59.  Deborah '  Avery  {Edward\  James',  James",  Christopher^) 
was  b.  May  6,  1706,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb.  17,  1726-7,  at  Groton, 
Nathan  Williams,  s.  of  John  and  Martha  (Wheeler)  Williams. 
He  was  b.  Dec.  11,  1698,  at  Stonington;  date  of  death  unknown. 
She  d.  May  8,  1732,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Nathan  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Williams,  b.  at 
Groton: 

i.       Sarah",  b.  Dec.  29,  1729;  m.  Amos  Chapman;  d.  May,  1779,  at  Led- 

yard;  Amos  Chapman  receipts  with  his  wife,  Sarah,  for  a  share  in 

Edward  Avery's  estate, 
ii.      Deborah",  b.  Feb.  14,  1731-2;  m.  Stoddard;  receipts  alone  for 

her  share  of  her  grandfather's  estate,  husband  probably  dead;  she 

d.  April,  1804,  at  Groton. 

60.  Theophilus  Avery  (Edward*,  James\  James\  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Sept.  6,  1708,  at  Groton;  m.  July  16,  1733,  at  Groton, 
Elizabeth  Billings,  dau.  of  William  and  Hannah  (Sterry)  Billings. 


The   Fifth   Generation  165 

She  was  b.  Jan.  5, 1713,  at  Preston.  William  Billings  of  Preston,  in 
a  will  made  June  4,  1737,  mentioned  his  daughter,  Elizabeth  Avery 
(New  London  Wills,  D:335).  Theophilus'  Avery  was  ensign  of 
the  second  Groton  company,  1746;  lieutenant,  1749  {Conn.  Col. 
Rec,  9:242,  419).  He  was  tythingman,  1740;  surveyor,  1760;  a 
member  of  the  town  committee  to  supply  the  soldiers  with  cloth- 
ing, 1777,  1778  {Groton  Toivn  Minutes).  He  was  a  farmer  and 
lived  and  died  in  the  part  of  Groton  now  called  Ledyard;  his  wife 
died  there,  Aug.  25,  1791;  he  d.  Sept.  30,  1799.  His  will,  made 
June  2,  1798,  was  proved  Oct. ,  1799,  at  Stonington.  He  mentioned 
sons,  Theophilus  and  James;  daus.,  Deborah  Parke,  Abigail  Leon- 
ard, and  Elizabeth  Williams;  grandchildren,  Benjamin  Brewster, 
Samuel  Avery,  Ichabod  Avery,  Erastus  Avery  {Stonington  Wills, 
6:283). 

Children  of  Theophilus  and  Elizabeth  (Billings)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton: 

Elizabeth",  b.  Dec.  22,  1733. 

Deborah",  b.  May  27,  1735. 

James",  b.  Feb.  28,  1737. 

Content",  b.  Jan.  24,  1739;  d.  Nov.  16,  1760,  at  Groton. 

Desire",  b.  May  15,  1741;  d.  April  16,  1748,  at  Groton. 

Edward",  b.  Dec.  23,  1743;  d.  1764,  at  sea;  unm. 

William",  b.  May  7,   1746;  d.  Jan.   28,  1773,  at  Gaudaloupe; 
unm. 
viii.    Abigail",  b.  Oct.  11,  1748, 

Sarah",  b.  Dec.  2,  1750. 

Theophilus",  b.  June  22,  1753. 

62.  Gideon"  Avery  {Edward"^,  James",  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  June  1,  1715,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  9,  1752,  New  North 
Church  of  Boston,  Mehitabel  Harper,  probably  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward and  Mehitabel  (Wood)  Harper,  of  Boston.  Gideon"  Avery 
was  a  mariner  and  did  not  return  from  a  voyage  taken  in  1763, 
His  estate  was  settled  by  his  widow  and  John  Lambert,  of  Boston. 
December  5, 1765,  the  widow,  Mehitabel  Avery,  m.  John  Lambert, 
by  whom  she  had  a  large  family.  She  probably  died  Nov.  28, 
1796,  at  Boston.  From  the  will  of  Edward  Avery,  father  of 
Gideon,  it  might  be  inferred  that  Gideon  Avery  had  a  daughter, 
Mary.     If  so,  Gideon  must  have  been  married  before. 

Child  of  Gideon  Avery: 

288.    i.         Mary",  (?). 


279. 

1. 

280. 

ii. 

281. 

iii. 

iv. 

V. 

vi. 

Vll. 

282. 

viii 

283. 

ix. 

284. 

X. 

166  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


Children  of  Gideon  and  Mehitabel  (Harper)  Avery: 

289.  i.         Rebecca",  bap.  Sept.  23,  1753,  New  North  Church  of  Boston. 

290.  ii.        GlDEON%  bap.  Feb.  22,  1756,  New  North  Church  of  Boston.     A 

Gideon  Avery  (possibly  this  one)  was  in  Col.  Richard  Grid- 
ley's  artillery,  Jan.  13,  1776;  seaman  on  the  brigantine 
"Massachusetts,"  Jan.  20,  1777;  was  one  of  the  prisoners 
set  ashore  at  Sheepscott,  from  the  British  ship,  "Rain- 
bow," Sept.  12,  1777  (Mass.  Soldiers  and  Sailors  in  the 
Revolution,  1 :  366) . 

63.  Hannah'  Avery  {EdwarcV,  James',  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  July  30,  1717,  at  Groton;  m.  July  9,  1740,  at  Groton,  her 
cousin,  Thomas  Pelton,  s.  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Rose)  Pelton.  He 
was  b.  July  22,  1717,  at  Groton.  He  was  a  farmer;  deacon  and 
elder  in  Elder  Avery's  Baptist  church;  sergeant  of  the  second 
Groton  company,  1749.  He  and  his  wife  moved  to  Mount  Hope, 
N.  Y.,  where  hed.  in  1807;  she  d.  in  1809. 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Pelton,  b.  at  Led- 
yard: 

i.       Henry",  b.  July  2,  1742. 

ii.      RoswELL",  b.  April  4,  1744;  d.  1763,  at  Groton. 

iii.     Hannah',  b.  May  7,  1746;  m.  Benjamin  Kinsman. 

iv.      Gideon",  b.  Feb.  23,   1748;  m.  Margaret  Crawford;  a  soldier  of  the 

Revolution;  in  battle  of  Fort  Montgomery,  near  West  Point;  second 

reg't,   Ulster  County  mihtia  {N.   Y.  Men  in  the  Revohition,  p.  193); 

d.  March,  1824,  at  Montgomery,  N.  Y. 
V.       Elkanah%  b.  Dec.  14,  1749;  d.  1752. 
vi.      JoHN%  b.  Aug.  26,  1751;  d.  1752. 
vii.    Simeon'',  b.  Sept.  18,  1753;  d.  1771. 
viii.    Amos%  b.  July  15,  1755;  d.  1756. 

ix.     RuFUS",  b.  April  22,  1757;  m.  Ann ;  d.  before  1808,  at  Groton. 

X.       Peleg%  b.  Aug.  9,  1759;  m.  Anna  Stoddard  ;  fifer  in  Capt.  Hewet's 

CO.  of  militia  at  Saratoga,  1777  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  504); 

d.  Jan.  27,  1829,  at  Mount  Hope,  N.  Y. 
xi.     Wealthy',  b.  May  5,  1761;  m.  WiUiam  Holdridge. 

64.  Ichabod'  Avery  (Edivard*,  James\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  May  7,  1719,  at  Groton;  m.  Mary  Forsythe,  dau.  of  James 
and  Hannah  (Lester)  Forsythe,  of  Groton.  She  was  b.  April  28, 
1722,  at  Groton.  Ichabod'  Avery  d.  before  June  16,  1751,  at 
which  time  his  widow  m.  John  Bishop. 

Child  of  Ichabod  and  Mary  (Forsythe)  Avery: 

291.  i.     Eunice",  mentioned  in  her  grandfather's  will. 


The    Fifth   Generation  167 

65.  Asa  Avery  {Edwm^d\  James',  James\  Christopher^')  was 
b.  July  21,  1721,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec.  22,  1742,  at  Groton,  Lucretia 
Williams,  dau.  of  David  and  Experience  (Bailey)  Williams.  She 
was  b.  Nov.  29,  1723,  at  Groton.  In  his  will,  made  Feb.  3,  1762, 
David  Williams  mentioned  wife.  Experience,  and  dau.,  Lucretia 
Avery  (Neiu  London  Wills,  H:238).  Asa'  Avery  was  lister,  1745; 
grand  juryman,  1748;  surveyor,  1755,  1762.  He  was  commissioned 
captain  of  the  fifth  company  of  the  eighth  regiment,  Oct. ,  1765 
{Conn.  Col.  Rec,  12,  416).  During  the  Revolutionary  war,  he  was 
several  times  on  a  committee  to  procure  clothing  and  other  sup- 
plies for  the  soldiers  (Selectmen's  Minutes,  Ch^oton).  In  his  will, 
made  Sept.  19,  1789,  and  proved  Oct.  21,  1789,  he  mentioned  wife, 
Lucretia ;  sons,  Benajah,  Daniel,  David ;  daughters,  Zipporah 
Bailey,  Esther  Swan,  and  Mary  Wightman  (Stonington  Wills, 
4:168).  He  d.  Sept.  27,  1789,  at  Groton;  she  d.  March  15,  1790, 
at  Groton;  they  are  buried  in  the  Edward  Avery  burying-ground, 
at  Ledyard. 

Children  of  Asa  and  Lucretia  (Williams)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

292.  i.       Benajah%  b.  Dec.  15,  1743. 

293.  ii.     Zipporah",  b.  May  22,  1746. 

iii.  Lucretia",  b.  Oct.  29,  1748;  d.  May  6,  1751,  at  Groton. 

iv.  Eunice",  b.  Nov.  17,  1750;  d.  Jan.  12,  1752,  at  Groton. 

V.  Asa",  b.  Nov.  21,  1752;  d.  Jan.  4,  1753,  at  Groton. 

vi.  Asa",  b.  Jan.  21,  1754;  d.  Aug.  24,  1754,  at  Groton. 

294.  vii.  Esther,,,  b.  Feb.  4,  1756. 

295.  viii.  Daniel,,  b.  Feb.  25,  1758. 

296.  ix.  Mary",  b.  April  6,  1760. 

297.  X.  David",  b.  Sept.  5,  1762. 

xi.  Edward",  b.  Dec.  13,  1764;  served  in  Revolutionary  war  in 
Capt.  Hungerford's  co.  of  militia,  Nov.,  1780- J  an.  1781;  on  a 
tour  of  duty  in  New  London  Co.  {Conn.  Men  in  Rev.,  p.  580) ; 
d.  May  28,  1786;  unm. 

66.  Mary'  Avery  {Edivard*,  James\  James'',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Nov.  3,  1723,  at  Groton;  m.  Aug.  20,  1743,  at  Groton,  Paul 
Pelton,  s.  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Rose)  Pelton  and  brother  of 
Thomas  Pelton  who  m.  his  wife's  sister,  Hannah.  Paul  Pelton 
was  b.  May  14,  1720,  at  Groton,     He  was  living  at  Groton  in  1770. 

Children  of  Paul  and  Mary  (Avery)  Pelton,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.      Prudence",  b.  Aug.  2,  1744. 
ii.     Eunice",  b.  Nov.  24,  1745. 
iii.    Lucy",  b.  Oct.  1,  1747. 


168  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

iv.     Mary%  b.  Oct.  23,  1749. 
V.      Samuel",  b.  Aug.  20,  1751. 
vi.    Paul",  b.  Feb.  10,  1754. 
vii.    Hannah",  b.  May  6,  1756. 
viii.  EUNICE%  b.  Sept.  15,  1758. 

67.  Parke'  Avery  (Ebenezer*,  James\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Dec.  9,  1710,  at  Groton;  m.  Mary  Latham.  She  was  prob- 
ably the  dau.  of  Jasper  and  Abigail  Latham.  Jasper  Latham,  in 
a  will  dated  Aug.  15,  1749,  mentioned  wife,  Abigail;  son,  Jasper; 
dau.,  Mary  Avery,  with  other  children  {Netu  London  Wills). 
Parke'  Avery  was  called  "Elder,"  because  he  separated  from  the 
"standing  order"  and  preached  every  Sunday  to  the  people  of 
Groton  in  the  "great  room"  in  the  Hive  of  the  Averys.  This 
room  had  been  a  part  of  the  New  London  church  building  in 
which  Pastor  Blinman  had  held  forth  more  than  a  hundred  years 
before.  He  was  one  of  the  committee  of  inspection  in  1775  to 
represent  to  the  general  court  the  necessity  of  fortifying  Groton 
heights.     As  a  result  Fort  Griswold  was  built. 

July  3,  1776,  "An  account  of  Ebr  Ledyard,  Esq.  and  Mr.  Park  Avery,  a 
committee  who  built  the  fort  at  Groton,  laid  in,  examined  and  adjusted, 
and  allowed  therein  the  sum  of  £265  7s.  9d.  in  discharge  thereof  and 
voted  that  an  order  be  drawn  for  that  sum"  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  15:462). 

He  was  deputy  to  the  general  court  in  1776,  during  the  long  and 
anxious  session  that  began  with  the  approval  of  the  declaration  of 
independence  and  enacted  laws  for  the  protection  of  our  interests 
{Conn.  State  Rec.,  1:2,  61,  90).  He  was  moderator  of  the  town 
of  Groton,  1780,  1781.  He  was  too  old  to  take  the  field  in  defense 
of  his  country,  but  he  sent  his  six  sons,  two  of  whom  died  in 
battle.  In  1779,  he  and  his  son,  Parke,  were  both  on  a  committee 
"to  attend  to  the  business  of  inoculation. "  He  was  constable  and 
surveyor  for  Groton,  1748. 

His  wife,  Mary,  died  June  11,  1773,  at  Groton.     He  m.  2d, 
Grace  Denison,  as  the  following  record  shows: 

"Parke  Avery  of  Groton  and  Grace  Denison,  daughter  of  Witherell  Den- 
ison, in  the  house  where  Jno.  Prentiss  lived,  Dec.  10,  1778,  mar,  by  me 
— Joshua  Hempstead"  {Groton  Records). 

She  was  b.  May  8,  1728,  at  New  London;  dau.  of  Wetherell  and 
Lydia  (Moore)  Denison.  In  his  will,  dated  May  2,  1797,  proved 
May  22,  1797,  Parke  Avery  mentioned  wife,  Grace;  sons,  Parke, 
Ebenezer,  Stephen,  Simeon;  grandsons,  Cyrus  and  Jasper,  sons  of 


298. 

1. 

299. 

ii. 

300. 

iii. 

301. 

iv. 

302. 

V. 

303. 

vi. 

304. 

vii. 

305. 

viii 

IX. 

The   Fifth   Generation  169 

son,  Jasper,  *  Vho  gave  his  life  for  his  country;"  daus.,  Abigail 
Niles,  Dorothy  Morgan,  Eunice  Morgan;  granddaughter,  "Eliza- 
beth Avery,  v^ho  lives  with  me"  {Stonington  Wills,  6:125).  He 
d.  May  4,  1797,  at  Groton;  she  d.  Aug.  13,  1809,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Parke  and  Mary  (Latham)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

Abigail",  bap.  May  15,  1737,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

Dorothy",  bap.  Aug.  26,  1739,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

Parke",  bap.  May  3,  1741,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

Jasper",  bap.  Oct.  21,  1744,  First  Church  of  Preston. 

Ebenezer".  bap.  Aug.  17,  1746,  First  Church  of  Preston. 

Eunice",  bap.  Nov.  13,  1748,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

Stephen",  b.  May  10,  1751. 

Simeon",  b.  Oct.  20,  1753. 

Elisha",  private  in  Capt.  Abel  Spicer's  company,  May  to  Dec, 
1775;  killed  at  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6, 1781;  captain  (Conn.  Men  in 
Rev'n,  78:577);  unm. 

68.  Mary'  Avery  (Ebenezer*,  James\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Feb.  17,  1713,  at  Groton;  m.  Deacon  Jonathan  Latham,  s. 

of  William  and  Hannah  (Morgan)  Latham.  He  was  b.  Sept.  28, 
1716,  at  Groton.  He  was  commissioned  ensign,  first  company, 
eighth  regiment,  Groton,  Oct.,  1754  {Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  10:316). 

Jonathan  and  Mary  Latham,  Joseph  and  Dorothy  Morgan, 
Jabez  and  Amy  Smith,  deeded,  March  18, 1745,  to  Ebenezer  Avery, 
land  that  came  to  them  from  Capt.  John  Park,  their  grandfather 
{Preston  Deeds,  6:54).  In  his  will,  made  Oct.  29,  1796,  Jonathan 
Latham  mentioned  wife,  Mary;  granddaughter.  Experience,  dau. 
of  son,  James,  deceased;  grandsons,  Ebenezer  and  Jonathan,  sons 
of  son,  Jonathan,  deceased;  widow  of  son,  Jonathan,  as  long  as 
she  remains  his  widow;  daughter-in-law,  Eunice  Latham  {Ston- 
ington Wills,  6:106).  He  d.  Dec.  22,  1796;  she  d.  Sept.  2,  1799, 
both  at  Groton;  their  tombstones  are  standing  in  the  cemetery  at 
Ledyard. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Avery)  Latham,  bap.  at 
First  Church  of  Groton : 

1.  Mary",  bap.  March  18,  1739;  m.  Ebenezer  Ledyard. 
ii.  William",  bap.  May  10,  1741;  m.  Eunice  Forsythe;  was  ensign,  10th 
CO.,  6th  reg't,  1775;  2d  lieut.,  1776;  capt.,  1780;  wounded  at  Fort 
Griswold  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  78,  558,  578,  617) ;  d.  Jan. 
27,  1792. 
iii.  Ebenezer  Avery",  bap.  Dec.  18,  1743;  lost  at  sea,  mate  to  a  brig  at 
West  Indies. 


170 


The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


iv.       Jonathan",  bap.  June  29,  1746;   m.   Lucy  Niles;   will  made  June  3, 

1790;  proved  Oct.  4,  1790. 
V.         James",  bap.  July  2,  1749;  m.  Lucy  Turner;  d.  before  1796. 
vi.        David",  bap.  Nov.  17,  1751;  lived  in  France;  d.  unm. 
vii.        GlLES%   bap.    Aug.,  1755;  m.   Betsy  Coleman;    mariner;   d.  July  4, 

1788;  buried  in  Ledyard  cemetery,  Groton;  wid.  m.  2d,  Ebenezer 

Avery  (No.  302). 


69.  Dorothy"  Avery  (Ebenezer \  James",  James-,  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Jan.  10,  1716,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec.  4,  1735,  at  Groton, 
Joseph  Morgan,  s.  of  William  and  Margaret  (Avery)  Morgan  (No. 
12) .  He  was  b.  Aug.  10,  1706,  at  Groton.  He  was  commissioned 
ensign,  1744;  lieutenant,  1746;  captain,  1749  {Conn,  Col.  Rec, 
9:47,  242,  419).     As  captain  of  the  mihtia  company  of  Groton,  he 

marched  to  the  relief 
of  Fort  William  Henry, 
August,  1756 ;  was  in 
the  campaign  of  1757 
{French  and  Indian 
War  Rolls,  1:197).  So 
many  members  of  the 
clan  mentioned  in  this 
chapter  took  part  in 
these  campaigns  of 
1756  and  1757  that  it 
seems  desirable  to  re- 
fer the  reader  of  these 
pages  to  Avery's  His- 
tory of  the  United  States 
and  Rs  People,  volume 
4,  chapters  6  and  7,  for 
an  account  of  these 
martial  doings. 

In  his  will,  made  Nov. 
25,  1785,  Joseph  Mor- 
gan mentioned  wife, 
Dorothy;  son,  Joseph; 
grandson,  Joseph  Mor- 
gan ;  granddaughters, 
Susannah   Allyn    and 

Map  of  the  Country  between  Crown  Point  and  Fort  Edward-     pT.ii(Jpvi/2P        M  O  r  2"  a  n  ' 


The   Fifth   Generation  171 

g-randchildren,  Dorothy,  William,  Mary,  and  Avery  Morgan;  dau., 
Elizabeth  Allyn;  dau.,  Dorothy  Lester;  dau.,  Margaret,  wife  of 
William  Chadsey  (Stonington  Wills,  4:15).  In  her  will,  made 
Jan.  7,  1788,  she  mentioned  dau.,  Dorothy  Lester;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  Amos  Allen;  dau.,  Margaret  Chadsey;  son,  Joseph  Morgan; 
his  daughters,  Susannah  Allyn  and  Prudence  Morgan;  great- 
grandson.  Simeon,  son  of  grandson,  Joseph  Morgan ;  grand- 
daughter, Mary  Morgan  Allyn,  dau.  of  daughter,  Elizabeth  Allyn; 
grandsons,  William  and  Avery  Allyn;  granddaughters,  Dorothy 
and  Polly  Allyn,  daughters  to  my  daughter,  Mary  Allyn,  deceased 
(Stonington  With,  4:110).  He  d.  Dec.  1,  1785;  she  d.  April  5, 1788, 
both  at  Groton. 

Children   of    Joseph   and   Dorothy   (Avery)    Morgan,    b.   at 
Groton : 

i.         JosEPH%  b.  Jan.  31,  1737-8;  m.  Pi-udence  Avery  (No.   264). 

ii.       Dorothy",  b.  Jan.  1,  1741-2;    m.  Ensign  John  Lester,  who  was  killed 

at  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781  (Conn.  Men  in  Rev'n,  p.  577). 
iii.       Mary%    b.   Jan.   6,   1744-5;    m.   Allyn;   d.   Aug.   23,   1785,   at 

Groton. 
iv.       William",  b.  May  25,  1746;  d.  Feb.  25,  1772,  at  Groton;  unm. 
V.       Elizabeth",  b.    Nov.   10,   1748;  m.   Amos  Allen;  d.  Nov.  7,  1804,  at 

Groton. 
vi.       Margaret",  b.  Aug.  23,  1750;  m.  William  Chadsey;  d.  Dec,  1797,  at 

Groton. 
vii.     Ebenezer",  b.  Oct.  17,  1752;  d.  March  14,  1773,  at  Groton;  unm. 
viii.    Simeon",   b.   Sept.  23,   1755;   killed  at  Fort  Griswold,   Sept.  6,  1781 

(Conn.  Men  in  Rev'n.,  p.  577);  unm. 

70.  Ebenezer ■  Avery  {Ebenezer\  James',  James', Christopher^) 
was  b.  April  3,  1721,  at  Groton;  m.  May  3,  1744,  at  Groton,  Lucy 
Davis,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Morgan)  Davis  and  grand- 
daughter of  William  and  Margaret  (Avery)  Morgan  (No.  12). 
She  was  b,  June  15,  1724,  at  Groton.  She  is  mentioned  in  the  will 
of  her  grandmother,  Margaret  (Avery)  Morgan.  She  died  Oct. 
27,  1757.  Ebenezer  Avery  m.  2d,  Nov.  9,  1758,  at  Preston, 
Eunice  Parke,  dau.  of  Eleazur  and  Eliphel  (Button)  Parke.  She 
was  b.  Feb.  19,  1727-8,  at  Preston.  Ebenezer'  Avery  probably 
lived  at  Preston;  the  baptisms  of  some  of  his  children  are  recorded 
there.  In  1771,  he  and  his  wife,  Eunice,  signed  receipts  relating 
to  the  estate  of  Eleazur  Parke  {Norwich  Wills,  4:1).  The  dates 
of  the  deaths  of  Ebenezer"  Avery  and  his  second  wife  are  not 
known. 


172  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Lucy  (Davis)  Avery: 

i.       LucY%    b.    May  28,    1745;    bap.    July  2,  1745,  First   Church  of 
Groton;  died  young. 

306.  ii.     Margaret",  b.  April  15,  1748. 

307.  iii.     Dorothy",  b.  Sept.  13,  1750. 

iv.     Abigail",  b.  March,  1752;  d.  Oct.  10,  1753. 

308.  V.      Amy",  b.  Sept.  22,  1754. 

Child  of  Ebenezer  and  Eunice  (Parke)  Avery  : 

309.  i.       Ebenezer",  b.  Oct.  10,  1760,  at  Preston. 

71.  Amie'  Avery  (Ebenezer \  James',  James',  Christopher') 
was  b.  Sept.  14,  1724,  at  Groton;  m.  May  26,  1742,  at  Groton,  as 
his  second  wife,  Jabez  Smith,  s.  of  Nehemiah  and  Dorothy 
(Wheeler)  Smith.  He  was  b.  Feb.  7,  1715,  at  Groton.  He  was 
ensign  in  the  first  company  of  the  train-band,  1748;  lieutenant, 
1749;  captain,  1754  (Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  9:389  &  10:  40,  316).  He  d. 
Aug.  11,  1782,  at  Groton;  she  d.  June  30,  1801,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Jabez  and  Amie  (Avery)  Smith,  b.  at  Groton  and 
bap.  in  First  Church  of  Groton: 

i.  Amie",  b.  Jan.  18,  1746-7;  m.  Jonas  Prentice;  d.  March  11,  1814. 

ii.  Eunice",  b.  Feb.  25,  1748-9. 

iii.  Jabez",  b.  Aug.  31,  1751. 

iv.  Anna",  b.  Dec.  4,  1754. 

V.  John",  b.  April  11,  1757;  d.  Feb.  17,  1759,  at  Groton. 

vi.  Mary",  b.  Oct.  31,  1759. 

vii.  John",  b.  April  10,  1762. 

viii.  Perez  Swan",  b.  July  15,  1766. 

72.  Eunice'  Avery  (Ebenezer'\  James\  James',  Christopher') 
was  b.  March  2,  1725,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  13,  1748,  at  Groton, 
George  Williams,  s.  of  John  and  Desire  (Denison)  Williams  of 
Stonington.  He  was  b.  July  9,  1726,  at  Stonington.  He  d.  Aug. 
11,  1775,  at  Montville.  In  his  will,  proved  Sept.  12,  1775,  he 
called  himself  of  Montville.     She  d.  June  24,  1812. 

Children  of  George  and  Eunice  (Avery)  Williams: 

i.  Prudence",  b.  July  25,  1749;  m.  Amos  Avery  (No.  267). 

ii.  George",  b.  Nov.   2,   1751;  m.   Nancy  Hewitt;  d.   June  30,  1830,  at 

Waterford,  Conn. 

iii.  Eunice",  b.  Dec.  14,  1753. 

iv.  Solomon",  b.  Sept.  19,  1756;  m.  Elizabeth  Ayer. 

V.  Welthea",  b.  Sept.  6,  1758;  d.  y. 

vi.  Bridget",  twin  to  Welthea;  m.  William  Sheffield, 

vii.  Amos",  b.  Aug.  23,  1760;  d.  Jan.  14,  1763 


The   Fifth   Generation  173 

viii.    Desire%  b.  Oct.  23,  1763. 

ix.      Dudley",  b.  Sept.  30,  1765;  m.  Catharine -. 

X.       Robert",  b.  Jan,  30,  1768;  d.  June  15,  1787. 
xi.      Ebenezer",  b.  Nov.  11,  1771,  at  New  London. 

xii.     Jesse",  b.  July  4,  1774,   at  Stonington;    m.  Abigail  Bailey;   d.  July 
12,  1822. 

73.  Simeon'  Avery  {Ebenezer\  James'',  James',  Christopher '^) 
was  b.  April  25,  1730,  at  Groton;  bap.  July  25,  1730,  First  Church 
of  Groton;  m.  Oct.  25,  1750,  at  Groton,  Sarah  Niles,  dau.  of  Na- 
thaniel and  Mary  (Northrop)  Niles.  She  was  b.  Oct.  23,  1732,  at 
Groton.  Simeon '  Avery  served  in  Capt.  Joseph  Morgan's  company 
that  marched  to  the  relief  of  Fort  William  Henry,  Aug.,  1757 
(French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:197).  He  moved  to  Orford, 
N.  H. ,  where  he  was  a  deacon  of  the  Congregational  church  and 
an  innkeeper  for  many  years.  He  kept  the  first  ferry  across  the 
Connecticut  River  there.  His  wife  d.  April  12,  1783,  at  Orford. 
According  to  the  record  in  Sweet's  The  Averys  of  Groton,  he  m. 
2d,  Sept.  11,  1783,  Mrs.  Hannah  (Smallee)  Loomis;  she  was  prob- 
ably Mrs.  Hannah  (Loomis)  Smallee,  dau.  of  Benoni  and  Hannah 
(Woodward)  Loomis.  She  was  b.  March  27,  1745,  at  Lebanon, 
Conn.  (Loomis  Genealogy,  p.  58).  He  d.  Sept.  18,  1790,  at  Or- 
ford; she  d.  Nov.,  1814. 

Children  of  Simeon  and  Sarah  (Niles)  Avery: 

i.  Simeon",  b.  July  1,  1751;  d.  Aug,  3,  1754. 

ii.  Mary",  b,  Jan,  5,  1753;  d,  Feb,  26,  1753. 

310.  iii.  Sarah",  b.  Feb.  4,  1754. 

311.  iv.  Lucy",  b.  March  24,  1756. 

312.  V.  Nathan",  b.  March  31,  1759. 

313.  vi.  Catharine  ,  b.  Sept.  24,  1761. 

314.  vii.  Mary",  b.  March  10,  1764. 

viii.  Zerviah",  b.  April  14,  1765;  d.  April  22,  1767. 

315.  ix.     Hannah",  b.  May  16,  1768. 

316.  X.      Jesse",  b.  Oct.  22,  1771, 

317.  xi,     Silas",  b.  Sept,  11,  1773, 

318.  xii.   Joshua",  b.  March  16,  1777. 

Child  of  Simeon  and  Hannah  (Smallee)  Avery: 

319.  i.      Simeon  Hyde",  b,  Jan,  13,  1787, 

74.  John''  Avery  (Christopher*,  James\  James',  Christopher' ) 
was  b.  Oct,  26,  1705,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb,  19,  1732,  at  Stonington, 
Anne  Stanton,    dau.    of    Joseph  and   Margaret    (Chesebrough) 


174  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


Stanton.  She  was  b.  Aug.  6,  1708,  at  Stonington.  John  Avery 
was  received  into  the  Congregational  church  at  Preston  by  letter 
from  the  Groton  church,  June  23,  1734,  and  his  wife,  Anne,  July 
28,  same  year.  The  strict  Congregational  (or  Separatist)  church 
was  organized  March  17,  1747,  with  six  members  of  whom  John' 
Avery  was  one.  He  was  chosen  deacon  Aug.  5,  and  ordained 
Aug.  16, 1747.  He  refused  to  pay  rates  to  the  regular  church  and 
was  once  imprisoned  for  that  offense,  an  imprisonment  that  he 
felt  was  honorable.  He  was  made  lieutenant  of  the  Preston  train 
band,  1739;  captain,  1741;  resigned  May  7,  1750.  He  was  deputy 
to  the  general  court,  1743  {Con7i.  Col.  Rec,  8:227,  372,  552).  He 
Hved  at  Avery's  Pond,  in  the  southeast  part  of  Preston.  He  had 
a  keen  black  eye,  was  of  commanding  presence,  and  was  physically 
strong.  His  wife  d.  Oct.  6,  1750,  at  Preston.  He  m.  2d, 
Rachel  Parish,  widow  of  Joshua  Parke.  She  d.  Aug.  6,  1755,  at 
Preston.  About  1756,  he  m.  3d,  Mrs.  Phebe  (Burrows)  More, 
dau.  of  Samuel  Burrows  {Groton  Deeds,  5:160).  In  his  will,  Jan. 
5,  1788,  he  mentioned  wife,  Phebe;  sons,  John,  Amos,  and  Isaac; 
grandchildren,  Jabez  Avery  and  Margaret  Avery,  children  of 
deceased  son,  Jonas;  daus.,  Abigail,  widow  of  John  Hurlbut; 
Anna,  wife  of  Thomas  N.  Niles;  Hannah,  wife  of  Ebenezer 
Brewster;  Phebe,  wife  of  Hezekiah  Parke.  He  gave  his  negro 
man,  York,  his  freedom  and  provided  for  his  support  when  he 
could  no  longer  support  himself  (Noriuich  Wills,  8:228). 

The  tombstone  in    the  Avery  burying-ground,  at  Preston, 

reads: 

Dea.  John  Avery, 

Died  March  11,  1789, 

Aged  84. 

The  righteous  shall  be  in 

everlasting  remembrance. 

Children  of  John  and  Anne  (Stanton)  Avery,  b.  at  Preston: 

John",  b.  Dec.  6,  1732. 

Abigail%  b.  April  1,  1735. 

Amos%  b.  April  16,  1737. 

Anna",  b.  May  28,  1739. 

Margaret",  b.  April  19,  1741. 

Isaac",  b.  March  24,  1743. 
vii.   Jonas",  b.  July  15,  1745. 
viii.  Hannah",  b.  Oct.  9,  1747. 

Child  of  John  and  Phebe  (Burrows)  Avery,  b.  at  Preston: 


320. 

1. 

321. 

ii. 

322. 

iii 

323. 

iv 

324. 

V. 

325. 

vi 

326. 

vi 

327. 

vi 

The    Fifth   Generation  175 

328.     i.       Phebe'  .  b.  March  8,  1757. 

75.  Abigail'  Avery  {Christopher',  James',  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  July  16,  1707,  at  Groton;  m.  May  13,  1725,  at 
Groton,  Robert  Allyn,  s.  of  Robert  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Allyn 
(No.  10).  He  was  b.  Jan.  25,  1697-8,  at  Allyn's  Point,  Groton. 
He  was  ensign  of  the  second  company  of  Groton  militia,  1735; 
captain.  1739  (Conn.  Col.  Rec,  8:3,  260) ;  he  was  selectman  in  1745. 
He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  First  Church  of  Groton,  at 
the  ordination,  Nov.  22,  1727.  He  d.  April  1,  1760;  she  d.  Oct. 
21,  1780,  both  at  Allyn's  Point. 

Children  of  Robert  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Allyn,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.       Abigail",  b.  Feb.  2,  1726;  m.  Nehemiah  Williams;  d.  July  24,  1767,  at 

Groton. 
ii.      Robert",   b.  Sept.  8,  1728;  m.  Hannah  Gallop;  was  lieutenant,  from 

Groton,  May  1775  to  1783  {Conn.  Men  in  Rev'n,  p.  375) ;  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Order  of  the  Cincinnati;  d.  Nov.  11,  1811;  his  wife  d.  Oct, 

13,  1820. 
iii.     Elizabeth",  b.  April  27,  1731;  m.  James  Avery  (No.  260). 
iv.     Parke",  b.  June  15,  1733;  m.  Sarah  Gallop;  d.  Feb.  13,  1805,  at  Allyn's 

Point. 
V.       JoSEPH%  b.    Feb.   14,  1736;   m.    Mary   Belton;  d.    June   13,  1813,  at 

Groton. 
vi.      Prudence",  b.  April  9,  1738;  m.  Thomas  Prentice  Gallop;  d.  1813,  at 

Groton. 
vii.     Nathan",  b.   June  5,  1740;  m.   Sarah  Freeman;   d.   June  2,  1814,  at 

Groton. 
viii.    Jacob",  b.  March  27,    1743;  m.  Ednah  Lothrop;    d.    Feb.  16,  1773,  at 

Groton. 
ix.      Simeon",  b.  May  27,  1745;   m.  Esther  Gallop,  dau.  of  Benadam  and 
Hannah   (Avery)   Gallop   (No.  80) ;    a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary 

war;  killed  at  Fort  Griswold  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  561,  577). 
X.  Timothy",  b.  June  12,  1748;  m.  Prudence  Gallop,  dau.  of  Benadam 
and  Hannah  (Avery)  Gallop  (No.  80) ;  captain  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,  1776  to  1783;  member  of  the  Order  of  the  Cincinnati  (Conn. 
Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  246,  333,  375). 

76.  Christopher' Avery  (Christopher^  James\  James', Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Nov.  16,  1709,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  10,  1735,  at  Gro- 
ton, Eunice  Prentice,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Esther  (Hammond) 
Prentice.  Esther  (Hammond)  Prentice  m.  2d,  Christopher  Avery 
(No.  15).  Eunice  Prentice  was  b.  Dec.  8,  1717,  at  Groton.  In 
his  will,  made  June  10,  1778,  Christopher  Avery  mentioned  his 
wife,  Eunice;  his  five  sons,  Christopher,  Nathan,  Thomas,  Samuel, 


329. 

1. 

330. 

ii. 

331. 

iii. 

332. 

iv. 

333. 

V. 

334. 

vi. 

Vll 

176  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

and  Oliver;  his  "three  oldest  daughters,"  Esther  Williams,  Eu- 
nice Avery,  and  Lucy  Allyn;  his  "three  youngest  daughters," 
Abigail  Avery,  Sarah  Avery,  and  Hannah  Avery.  The  will  was 
probated  Sept.  30,  1778  (Stonington  Wills,  3:192).  He  d.  July  2, 
1778,  at  Ledyard;  she  d.  March  22,  1796,  at  Ledyard. 

Children  of  Christopher  and  Eunice  (Prentice)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton,  except  Hannah,  who  was  b.  at  Preston: 

Esther",  b.  April  14,  1736. 

Christopher",  b.  Jan.  23,  1738. 

Eunice',  b.  Dec.  19,  1739;  m.  George  Avery  (No.  180). 

LUCY%  b.  Dec.  20,  1741. 

Nathan",  b.  April  30,  1744. 

Thomas",  b.  Feb.  10,  1746. 

Anna",  b.  Feb.  2,  1748;  d.  before  June  10,  1778;  unm. 

335.  viii.  Samuel",  b.  Nov.  15,  1752. 

ix.  Prentice",  b.  Feb.  10,  1755;  marched  on  the  Lexington  Alarm 
from  Preston;  corporal,  seventh  co.,  sixth  regt.,  1776  (Conn. 
Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  20,  76) ;  d.  before  June  10,  1778;  unm. 

336.  X.      Oliver",  b.  Feb.  8,  1757. 

337.  xi.    Abigail",  b.  Feb.  22,  1759. 

338.  xii.    Sarah",  b.  Aug.  7,  1761. 

339.  xiii.  Hannah",  b.  June  20,  1763;  m.  David  Avery  (No.  297). 

77.  Nathan''  Avery  {Christopher^,  James\  James^,  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  March  10,  1712,  at  Groton;  m.  March  21,  1746,  at 
Groton,  Hannah  Stoddard,  dau.  of  Ralph  and  Hannah  (Lester) 
Stoddard.  She  was  b.  May  4,  1727,  at  Groton.  November  10, 
1750,  Nathan  Avery  and  Hannah,  his  wife,  receipted  to  her 
mother,  Hannah  Stoddard,  for  £150  from  the  estate  of  her  hon- 
ored father,  Ralph  Stoddard  {Neiv  London  Wills,  G:135).  He  was 
ordained  pastor  of  the  strict  Congregational  (Separatist)  church, 
at  Stonington,  April  25,  1759,  He  lived  on  a  farm  just  south  of 
North  Stonington.  He  d.  Feb.  7,  1780,  at  Stonington;  she  d. 
Oct.  10,  1810;  both  are  buried  in  the  "Old  Plain"  burying- 
ground. 

March  5,  1792,  the  following  named  persons  receipted  to 
Isaac  and  Stephen  Avery,  the  sons  and  executors  of  Elder  Nathan 
Avery:  widow,  Hannah,  for  herself  and  daughters,  Hannah  M.  and 
Wealthy;  daughter,  Phebe,  wife  of  Roswell  Randall;  son,  Luther 
{Stonington  Wills,  6:289). 

Children  of  Nathan  and  Hannah  (Stoddard)  Avery: 

340.  i.   Isaac",  b.  Aug.  23,  1747,  at  Groton. 

341.  ii.  Nathan",  b.  Dec.  21,  1749,  at  Groton. 


The   Fifth    Generation  177 

342.  iii.    Hannah  Mary",  b.  Feb.  28,  1752,  at  Stonington. 

343.  iv.    Luther",  b.  1754. 

344.  V.     Stephen",  b.  Jan.  13,  1756,  at  Stonington. 

345.  vi.    Phebe",  b.  Jan.  10,  1758,  at  Stonington. 

346.  vii.  Wealthy",  b.  Oct.  5,  1762,  at  Stonington. 

78.  Priscilla'  Avery  [Christopher^  James\  James',  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  April  29,  1715,  at  Groton;  m.  June  2,  1737,  at  Gro- 
ton,  Joseph  Breed,  s.  of  John  and  Mercy  (Palmer)  Breed.  He 
was  b.  Oct.  4,  1708,  at  Stonington.  Joseph  and  Priscilla  (Avery) 
Breed  were  living"  in  Frederick  County,  Virginia,  April  19,  1754, 
at  which  time  they  deeded  property  in  Groton  {Grotoji  Deeds,  5:171) . 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Priscilla  (Avery)  Breed,  b.  at  Ston- 
ington : 

i.  Joseph",  b.  April  8,  1738. 

ii.  Avery",  b.  Nov.  31,  1739. 

iii.  Priscilla",  b.  Oct.  14,  1742. 

iv.  Prudence",  b.  Dec.  7,  1744. 

V.  Hebe"  (Phebe?),  b.  Aug.  11,  1746. 

79.  Isaac'  Avery  {Christopher*,  James"",  James^',  Christopher'^) 
b.  March  26,  1717,  at  Groton;  m.  March  31,  1742,  at  Groton, 
Susanna  Elderkin,  dau.  of  John  and  Susanna  (Baker)  Elderkin. 
She  was  b.  Aug.  12,  1722,  at  Norwich.  November  8,  1744,  Sus- 
anna Avery,  widow  of  Isaac  Avery,  lately  deceased,  of  Groton, 
for  £300  from  her  brother,  John  Elderkin,  sold  to  him  land  be- 
ginning at  Elderkin  bridge,  which  land  she  had  of  her  honored 
father,  Isaac  Elderkin,  late  of  Norwich  {Norwich  Deeds,  10:74). 

Child  of  Isaac  and  Susanna  (Elderkin)  Avery: 

347.  i.    Prudence",  b.  1743,  at  Groton. 

80.  Hannah'  Avery  {Christopher^^ ,  James"",  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Feb.  10,  1719,  at  Groton;  m.  Aug.  11,  1740,  at  Gro- 
ton, Benadam  Gallop,  s.  of  Benadam  and  Eunice  (Cobb)  Gallop. 
He  was  b.  Oct.  26,  1716,  at  Groton.  He  w^as  deputy  to  the  gen- 
eral court  from  Groton,  Oct.,  1753  {Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  10:  196).  He 
acquired  the  title  of  colonel  in  the  old  French  wars. 

In  Feb.,  1757,  the  Connecticut  general  assembly  resolved  to  raise  1400 
men  for  the  next  campaign.  They  were  to  form  one  regiment  of 
fourteen  companies  and  act  in  conjunction  with  the  regular  troops 
under  the  command  of  the  earl  of  Loudoun.  Col.  Phineas  Lyman  was 
given  command  of  the  regiment.     The  12th  company  was  mostly  from 


178  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Groton  and  Preston,  and  was  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Benadam 
Gallop,  of  Groton.  Many  of  his  men  had  served  before  and  were  to 
serve  again.  Serg't  Elias  Avery  (No.  197)  and  Serg't  Charles  Avery 
(No.  250)  were  in  this  company.  Robert  Niles  (No.  298)  was  his 
clerk.  The  time  of  service  was  from  Feb.  to  Dec.  {Collections  of  the 
Conn.  Hist.  Soc,  9:166,  190). 

She  d.  July  28,  1799,  at  Groton;  he  d.  May  29,  1800,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Benadam   and  Hannah   (Avery)   Gallop,    b.   at 
Groton: 

i.  Benadam",  b.  June  29,  1741;  m.  Bridget  Palmer,  a  descendant  of  John 
and  Priscilla  Alden  of  the  "Mayflower"  (Wheeler's  Hist,  of  Ston- 
ington,-p.  515).  He  served  with  the  militia,  Wadsworth's  brigade, 
raised  June,  1776;  at  the  Brooklyn  front,  battle  of  Long  Island;  at 
White  Plains;  comm.issioned  lieutenant-colonel,  Dec.  2,  1776;  his 
commission  signed  by  Jonathan  Trumbull  is  in  the  possession  of  the 
family;  d.  April  12,  1818,  at  Groton  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
p.  395). 

ii.  Isaac",  b.  Dec.  22,  1742;  m.  Anna  Smith,  dau.  of  Nehemiah  and 
Abigail  (Avery)  Smith  (No.  98,  iii).  He  was  in  the  sixth  Conn, 
reg't;  first  lieutenant.  May  1,  1775;  captain,  1776;  captain  in  Col. 
Samuel  McClellan's  reg't,  appointed  Sept.  25, 1777  {Conn  Men  in  the 
Rev'n,  pp.  78,  99,  618).     He  d.  Aug.  3,  1814,  at  Ledyard. 

iii.     Hannah",  b.  Nov.  4,  1744;  d.  Jan.  10,  1771,  at  Groton;  unm. 

iv.  Esther",  b.  Dec.  9,  1746;  m.  1st,  Ralph  Stoddard;  2d,  Simeon  Allyn 
(No.  75,  ix) ;  3d,  Isaac  Geer. 

V.      James",  b.  May  1,  1749;  d.  Dec.  19,  1770,  at  Groton;  unm. 

vi.  Jesse",  b.  Feb.  2,  1751;  m.  Catharine  Fish.  He  was  corporal,  eighth 
Conn,  reg't,  1776,  Capt.  Morgan's  company  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
p.  451) . 

vii.     John",  b.  Jan.  13,  1753;  d.  Dec.  9,  1770,  at  Groton. 

viii.   Prudence",  b.  Jan.  30,  1755;  m.  Timothy  Allyn  (No.  75,  x). 

ix.      Susan",  b.  June  8,  1756;  m.  Nathan  Lester;  d.  Aug.  16,  1840. 

x.  JosiAH",  b.  1760;  m.  1st,  Sarah  Fish;  2d,  Mary  Randall;  d.  June  29, 
1826. 

xi.      Abigail",  b.  1762;  d.  Nov.  24,  1770,  at  Groton. 

81.  Jacob '  Avery  ( Christopher*,  James\  James',  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Aug-.  26,  1721,  at  Groton;  according  to  Sweet's  The 
Averys  of  Groton,  he  m.  Elizabeth  Avery,  dau.  of  Elisha  and 
Elizabeth  (Babcock)  Avery  (No.  205),  who  was  b.  March  25,  1725, 
at  Groton  and  d.  soon  after  her  marriage.  We  have  not  been  able 
to  find  proof  of  such  marriage.  It  is  certain  that  he  did  marry 
Sylvia  Eddy. 

"  Jacob  Avery  of  Groton,  Sylva  Eddy  of  Swanzey  was  married  June  the  4, 
1753,  by  me  Russel  Mason,  Elder  of  a  church  of  Christ  in  Swanzey" 
{Sivanzey  Rec.  and  Groton,  Mass.,  Historical  Series,  No.  13,  p.  55). 


The   Fifth   Generation  179 

Sylvia  Eddy,  dau.  of  Constant  and  Mary  (Winslow)  Eddy,  was  b. 
Feb.  27,  1738.  It  has  been  found  difficult  to  determine  the  list  of 
children;  the  list  given  below  may  be  incomplete.  March  23,  1793, 
Frederick  Avery,  of  Groton,  deeded  to  his  brother.  Constant 
Avery,  land  that  had  belonged  to  his  honored  father,  Jacob  Avery. 
March  26,  1796,  Jacob  Avery,  Jr.  and  Cyrus  Avery  agreed  to  take 
the  homestead  and  care  for  their  father  and  mother,  Jacob  and 
Sylvia  Avery,  during  the  rest  of  their  natural  lives;  witnessed  by 
Constant  Avery  and  Polly  Avery  (Groton  Deeds). 
Children  of  Jacob  and  Sylvia  (Eddy)  Avery: 


348. 

1, 

Solomon". 

349. 

ii. 

Jacob",  b.  April  6,  1757,  at  Groton. 

350. 

iii. 

CONSTANT\ 

351. 

iv. 

Frederick\ 

352. 

V. 

Cyrus". 

353. 

vi. 

Russell". 

354. 

vii. 

Prudence". 

355. 

viii, 

.  Polly",  b.  May  10,  1775.  at  Groton. 

356. 

ix. 

Sally". 

357. 

X. 

Olive". 

Of  the  last  two   daughters,  one  is  supposed  to  have  married  a 
Chapman,  and  the  other  one  a  Thurber. 


82.  Temperance '  Avery  (Christopher\  James\  James",  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Sept.  14,  1725,  at  Groton;  m.  July  4,  1744,  at  Gro- 
ton, William  Morgan,  s.  of  William  and  Mary  (Avery)  Morgan 
(No.  20,  iv) .  He  was  b.  June  17,  1723,  at  Groton.  He  was  a 
sergeant  in  Joseph  Morgan's  company  that  marched  to  the  relief 
of  Fort  William  Henry  in  1757  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls, 
1:197).  He  was  first  lieutenant  of  the  train  band,  6th  company, 
New  London,  1759;  commissioned  captain  of  the  same  company, 
May,  1760  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  10:415  &  11:374).  She  was  a  matron 
of  the  Revolution.  Her  name  has  been  found  on  various  old  town 
lists  that  are  preserved  with  care,  showing,  as  contributions  to 
the  soldiers  in  the  field,  the  work  of  her  own  hands,  stockings 
and  "Rifel  frocks"  being  among  her  gifts.  {American  Monthly 
Magazine,  27:781).  He  d.  April  11,  1777,  at  Groton;  she  d.  Oct. 
7,  1801,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  William  and  Temperance  (Avery)  Morgan,  b.  at 
Groton: 


180  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

i.     William",  b.  Sept.  28,  1745;  d.  Sept.  29,  1753,  at  Groton. 

ii.  Christopher",  b.  Oct.  27,  1747;  m.  1st,  Deborah  Ledyard  (No.  271,  i) ; 
2d,  Margaret  Gates;  ensign  in  Capt.  John  Morgan's  company,  8th 
reg't  of  miUtia  in  the  Rev'n  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  451) ;  d. 
July  5,  1831,  at  Groton. 

iii.  Temperance'',  b.  May  5,  1752;  m.  Ephraim  Allyn,  s.  of  James  and 
Alethea  (Avery)  Allyn  (No.  112) ;  she  d.  Oct.  3,  1799,  at  Ledyard;  he 
m.  2d,  her  sister,  Rebecca  (See  below). 

iv.  William  Avery",  b.  Nov.  24,  1754;  m.  Lydia  Smith;  their  son,  Jasper, 
m.  Catharine  (Copp)  Avery,  widow  of  Jasper  Avery  (No.  751). 
Their  son,  Edwin  D.  Morgan,  b.  Feb.  8,  1811,  at  Washington,  Mass., 
became  governor  of  New  York,  major-general  of  volunteers,  and 
United  States  senator  from  New  York.  William  Avery  Morgan  was 
serg't  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  656, 
661).  His  second  wife  was  Sarah  Harris.  He  d.  March  22,  1842,  at 
Lebanon,  Conn. 

v.  Israel'',  b.  July  22,  1757;  m.  Elizabeth  Brewster  {Elijah",  Joseph'% 
Jonathan*,  Benjamin^ ,  Jonathan- ,  Elder  William');  served  in  the 
Rev'n;  serg't  in  Capt.  Hewett's  reg't  of  militia;  was  in  the  cam- 
paign against  Burgoyne,  1777  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  504) ;  d. 
June  4,  1816,  at  Ledyard. 

vi.    Mary",  b.  Jan.  8,  1760;  m.  Peter  WilHams. 

vii.  Simeon",  b.  April  1,  1762;  m.  Phebe  Allyn;  d.  May  7,  1813,  at  Berne, 
N.  Y. 

viii.  Prudence",  b.  Oct.  27,  1764;  m.  Increase  Stoddard. 

ix.  Rebecca",  b.  April  9,  1766;  m.  1st,  Jacob  Gallop;  2d,  Ephraim  Allyn 
who  had  previously  m.  her  sister,  Temperance.  He  d.  Dec.  28,  1816, 
at  Groton;  she  d.  July  3,  1834,  at  Goshen,  Conn. 

X.  Jacob",  b.  Sept.  18,  1768;  m.  Lois  Gallop;  d.  March  15,  1855,  at  Berne, 
N.  Y. 

83.  Jonathan'  Avery  {Jonathan*,  James\  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Dec.  30,  1703,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec.  12,  1724,  at  Gro- 
ton, Mary  Latham.  He  was  a  house  carpenter.  His  father  sold 
to  him,  Jan.  5,  1728,  land  which  he,  in  turn,  sold  to  James  Avery, 
Jr.,  Jan.  6,  1728  {Gi^oton  Deeds,  2:329,  341).  The  Rev.  David 
Avery  (No.  511)  says  that  Jonathan'  Avery  died  in  the  expedition 
to  Cartagena,  about  1742.  His  widow  m.  Nathan  Barnes  before 
1753. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Latham)  Avery: 

358.  i.     Mary",  bap.  March  24,  1728,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

359.  ii.   Oliver",  bap.  March  23,  1729,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

360.  iii.  Jonathan",  bap.  March  21,  1731,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

361.  iv.  Lemuel",  bap.  April  1,  1733,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

362.  V.    Samuel",  "Samuel  Avery,  s.  of  Jonathan  Avery,  late  of  Groton, 

upwards  of  16  years,  chose  his  father-in-law,  Nathan  Barnes, 
guardian,  April  25,  1753' '  {New  London  Probate  Court  Journal, 
6:127). 


The    Fifth    Generation  181 

84.  Elizabeth"  Avery  {Jonathan',  James',  James',  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Jan.  18,  1705,  at  Groton  ;  m.  Daniel  Tennant  (New 
London  Court  Journal,  5:111).  "Elizabeth  Avery  m.  Daniel  Ten- 
ant of  Colchester"  (David  Avery  ms.).  Daniel  Tennant,  adult, 
was  bap.  April  2,  1732,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Tennant,  bap.  First 
Church  of  Groton: 

i.      Daniel%  bap.  April  27,  1732'] 

ii.    Abigail%  bap.  April  27,  1732. 

iii.  Mary",  bap.  April  27,  1732. 

iv.  Sarah'',  bap.  April  27,  1732;  probably  m.  Joshua  Rathbone  of  Col- 
chester. 

V.  Lucy",  bap.  April  27,  1732;  probably  m.  Jonathan  Chapel  of  Col- 
chester. 

vi.    Samuel",  bap.  May  3,  1734. 

85.  Mary'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  James"^,  James^,  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Dec.  3,  1707,  at  Groton;  m.  March  11,  1730,  at  Groton, 
Josiah  Haines,  s.  of  Josiah  and  Elizabeth  (Lambert)  Haines.  He 
was  b.  Jan.  8,  1699,  at  Preston  (Preston  Rec.,  1:31).  Josiah 
Haines,  in  a  will  made  June  4,  1719,  mentioned  son,  Josiah,  and 
gave  him  ' '  all  my  lands  in  Consuggamug  in  the  province  of 
Machune,  near  Molbary  "  (New  London  Wills,  B:347).  The  name 
was  often  spelled  Haynes. 

Children   of  Josiah   and   Mary   (Avery)   Haines,  bap.   First 

Church  of  Groton: 

i.     Joshua",  b.  Dec.  31,  1731;  bap.  June  9,  1734. 
ii.    Amy",  bap.  June  13,  1736. 
iii.   HuLDAH",  bap.  Aug.  7,  1737. 

86.  Lucy'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  James"",  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  March  20,  1709,  at  Groton;  m.  Jonathan  Leffingwell,  s.  of 
Daniel  and  Sarah  (Bill)  LefRngwell,  of  Norwich.  He  was  b.  May 
21,  1715,  at  Norwich;  date  of  death  not  known.  She  m.  2d,  Feb. 
2,  1748-49,  at  Groton,  John  Wood,  s.  of  John  and  Mary  Wood  of 
Groton.  In  writing  of  the  children  of  Jonathan  Avery,  the  Rev. 
David  Avery  (No.  511)  said: 

"Lucy  m.  Jona  Leffingwell  son  of  Danl  L.  of  Norwich  &  John  Wood,  bro. 
of  Wm.  W.  of  Groton." 

In  the  settlement  of  the  estate  of  Abel  Avery  (No.  89) ,  Dec.  10, 
1751,  Lucy  was  called  the  wife  of  John  Wood.     John  Wood  had  a 


182  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

share  in  the  Susquehanna  company  for  the  settlement  of  Wyo- 
ming, in  Pennsylvania,  under  the  Connecticut  claim.  Oct.  8, 1776, 
Benjamin  Bailey,  "late  of  Groton,  now  of  Susquehanna,"  for  a 
consideration,  quitclaimed  to  John  Wood  of  Groton,  all  right  in  six 
acres  of  land  belonging  to  the  heirs  of  the  late  Abel  Avery  of 
Groton. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Leffingwell,  b.  at 
Groton  : 

i.      Sarah''',  b.  Aug.  24,  1737;  m.  Joshua  Chapman, 
ii.    Nathaniel'',  b.  Oct.  7,  1739. 
iii.  Jonathan'%  b.  Feb.  11,  1742. 

iv.  LucY^,  b.  Nov.  9,  1745;  m.  Joseph  Yarrington,  s.  of  Ezekiel  and  Jerusha 
(Avery)  Yarrington  (No.  191,  vi) . 

Children  of  John  and  Lucy  (Avery-Leffingwell)  Wood,  b.  at 
Groton  : 

i.      RUTH%  b.  Dec.  3,  1749. 
ii.    Mary«,  b.  Aug.  29,  1751. 

87.  Abner''  Avery  {Jonathan*,  James\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  May  28,  1712,  at  Groton;  m.  May  22,  1740,  at  Montville, 
Amy  Fox,  probably  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Zipporah  Fox  of  Mont- 
ville. Samuel  Fox,  North  Parish,  New  London,  in  a  will  made 
May  22,  1753,  mentioned  wife,  Zipporah;  children,  Bathshua,  Mar- 
garet, Content,  Amy,  Caron,  Ezekiel,  and  Samuel,  but  did  not 
mention  the  names  of  the  husbands  of  his  daughters  {Neiv  London 
Wills,  F:368). 

Abner^  Avery  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Susquehanna  com- 
pany, Nov.  20,  1754.  Abner  Avery,  of  the  North  Parish,  made 
his  will  June  18,  1771;  it  was  proved  Aug.  13,  1771  {Neiu  London 
Wills,  1:178),  In  it  he  mentioned  wife.  Amy;  dau.,  Caron,  de- 
ceased; her  children.  Humility  and  Amy,  by  her  first  husband, 
Charles  Randall,  and  her  dau.,  Lydia,  by  her  second  husband, 
Stephen  Chappell;  son,  Abel;  dau.,  Amy;  son,  Elihu;  dau.,  Mar- 
garet; sons,  Jonathan  and  Amos;  "the  little  children,"  Eliza- 
beth, Freelove,  and  Lucy. 

Children  of  Abner  and  Amy  (Fox)  Avery,  b.  at  Montville  : 


363. 

i.      Caron%  b.  July  3,  1743. 

364. 

ii.     Abel%  b.  May  29,  1745. 

365. 

iii.    Amy",  b.  July  25,  1747. 

366. 

iv.    Elihu%  b.  March  25,  1749. 

367. 

V.      Margaret",  b.  Dec.  15,  1750 

The   Fifth   Generation  183 


368. 

vi. 

Samuel",   b.   Sept.    11,    1753;   not   mentioned  in   father's   will; 
probably  d.  before  1771;  unm. 

369. 

vii. 

Jonathan",  b.  Sept.  10,  1755. 

370. 

viii. 

Amos",  b.  March  10,  1758. 

371. 

ix. 

Elizabeth". 

372. 

X. 

Freelove\ 

373. 

xi. 

Lucy". 

89.  Abel"'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  James',   James',   Christopher') 
was  b.  Sept.  17,  1717,  at  Groton. 

"Abel  Avery  was  an  officer  in  the  army  and  was  killed  by  the  accidental 
discharge  of  a  gun."  (Extract  from  a  letter  from  his  nephew,  Jona- 
than Avery,  No.  369). 

Monday,  Oct.  20,  1746.  "Abel  Avery,  of  Groton,  was  accidently  Shott 
to  death  att  Collins's  in  the  house  Exercising  the  freelock  which  hap- 
ened  to  be  Loaden.  he  was  giving  the  word  of  Command  to  a  Saylor 
who  shott  him  thro  the  head  &  Died  immediately  in  a  few  minutes. 
Never  spake  a  word"  {Hempstead's  Diary,  p.  469). 

Abner  Avery  presented  the  inventory  of  the  estate  of  his  brother, 
Abel  Avery,  Jan.  13,  1747,  at  the  New  London  court.  December 
10,  1751,  the  estate  was  divided  among  the  brother  and  sisters  of 
Abel  Avery:— Abner  Avery;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Daniel  Tennant; 
Mary,  wife  of  Josiah  Haines;  Lucy,  wife  of  John  Wood;  Freelove, 
wife  of  Benjamin  Bailey;  Experience,  wife  of  Peter  Brown  (New 
London  Court  Journal,  5:111). 

90.  Temperance'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  James\  James\  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Feb.  3,  1719,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  29,  1743,  at  Gro- 
ton, John  Heath,  son  of  John  and  Dorothy  Heath  of  Groton.  He 
was  b.  March  10,  1717,  at  Groton.  He  was  second  lieutenant, 
March,  1756,  in  the  first  reg't,  8th  company,  Ebenezer  Billings, 
capt,  Nathan  Avery,  first  lieutenant  (Conn.  Col.  Rec,  10:472  and 
11:97);  first  lieutenant  in  Capt.  Stanton's  company,  1758  (French 
and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:45).  He  was  called  captain  by  the  Rev. 
David  Avery  (No.  511). 

Children  of  John  and  Temperance  (Avery)  Heath,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.     Dorothy",  b.  June  10,  1744;  m.  Christopher  Avery  (No.  330). 

ii.    Abigail",  b.  May  2,  1746. 

iii.  John",  b.   Jan.    5,   1747.     There  was   a   John   Heath  on  the  privateer 

"OUver  Cromwell,"  Capt.  Coit,  1777  (Collections  of  Conn.  Hist.  Soc, 

8:245,  250). 
iv.  Hannah",  b.  Oct.  21,  1749. 


y^ 


184  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

V.   AvERY%  b.  Nov.  23,  1750;    m.   Hannah  Brooks,  Feb.   14,  1773,   at  Col- 
chester, 
vi.  Jonathan",  b.  Nov.  3,  1753. 
vii.  Samuel",  b.  Aug.  31,  1755. 

91.  Freelove'  Avery  {Jonathan^,  James'',  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  March  16,  1722,  at  Groton;  m.  Benjamin  Bailey, 
s.  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Chapman)  Bailey.  He  was  b.  Oct.  25, 
1721,  at  Groton.  In  a  will  made  April  12,  1771,  Benjamin  Bailey 
mentioned  wife,  Freelove;  sons,  Joseph  and  Benjamin;  daus., 
Hannah  Bailey,  Freelove  Starr,  Mary  Bailey,  Lydia  Bailey.  The 
will  was  probated  June  29,  1771  (Stonington  Wills,  1:288).  His 
widow  d.  Feb.  8,  1779,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Freelove  (Avery)  Bailey,  bap. 
First  Church  of  Groton: 

i.      Hannah",  bap.  Dec.  18,  1743. 

ii.      Joseph",  bap.  Oct.  13,  1745;    m.   Hannah .     A  Joseph  Bailey 

was  a  seaman  on  the  privateer  "Ohver  Cromwell,"  1111  {Collec- 
tions of  Conn.  Hist.  Soc,  8:246). 

iii.  Freelove'%  bap.  April  3,  1748;  m.  William  Starr  who  was  a  lieut. 
in  the  8th  militia  at  Fort  Griswold;  he  was  a  pensioner. 

iv.     Benjamin",  bap.  July  14,  1751. 

V.      Elizabeth",  bap.  March  28,  1756. 

vi.     Mary". 

vii.  Lydia".  A  Lydia  Bailey  of  Groton  was  m.  to  William  Lester  of 
Norwich  by  the  Rev.  Aaron  Kinne,  July  6,  1777  {Norwich  Records, 
3:177). 

92.  Experience'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  James\  James-,  Christo- 
pher')  was  b.  Nov.  6,  1724,  at  Groton;  m.  Peter  Brown,  s.  of 
Gershom  and  Ann  (Foot)  Brown.  He  was  b.  March  15,  1721,  at 
Groton.  He  served  in  the  expedition  of  1755,  under  Capt.  Joseph 
Wooster;  also  in  Capt.  Morgan's  company,  in  1756  (French  and 
Indian  War  Rolls,  1:37,  197). 

94.  Tabitha'  Avery  (Joseph\  James\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Feb.  25,  1717,  at  Norwich;  m.  July  9,  1741,  Second  Church 
of  Griswold,  Henry  Skilton  of  South  Kingston,  Rhode  Island. 
She  was  called  of  North  Kingston.  He  was  the  s.  of  John  and 
Mary  (Bennett)  Skilton,  and  was  b.  in  Coventry,  England,  Nov. 
19,  1718.  He  emigrated  to  America  and  settled  in  Rhode  Island 
where  he  studied  medicine.  Later,  he  moved  to  Preston,  Conn., 
where  he  was  a  practising  physician.     Joseph'  Avery  deeded  land 


The    Fifth   Generation  185 

to  Henry  Skilton  and  wife,  Tabitha,  "my  beloved  daughter," 
March  20,  1745.  In  a  deed  of  land,  Feb.  8,  1754,  Henry  Skilton 
called  himself  of  Farmington,  Conn.  He  lived  in  Southington, 
Woodbury,  and  Watertown.  He  was  a  man  of  enterprise,  owning 
a  store,  hotel,  mill,  and  two  or  three  farms  at  the  same  time.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  "strict  "  Congregational  church 
of  Chester.  He  d.  in  Watertown,  Conn.,  June  7, 1802;  his  wife  d. 
at  the  same  place,  Oct.  25,  1797. 

Children  of  Henry  and  Tabitha  (Avery)  Skilton: 

i.       LuCY%  b.  April  5,  1742;  d.  April  17,  1758,  at  Woodbury,  Conn.;  unm. 

ii.      Elizabeth%  b.  Feb.  11,  1743;  d.  Sept.  1,  1749,  at  Woodbury. 

iii.  Mary%  b.  Feb.  12,  1746;  m.  Elisha  Atwood;  d.  June,  1830,  at  Wood- 
bury. 

iv.  AvERY%  b.  April  30,  1748;  m.  Parthenia  Judd;  d.  Aug.  27,  1832,  at 
WatertowTi. 

V.       James",  b.  June  1,  1749;  d.  Nov.,  1755,  at  Southington. 

vi.     Tabitha%  b.  Aug.  26,  1752;  d.  July,  1753,  at  Southington. 

vii.    Tabitha",  b.  Nov.  20,  1755;  d.  Dec,  1755,  at  Southington. 

viii.  Sarah",  b.  April  11,  1757;  m.  Richards;  she  was  a  minister 

in  the  fraternity  of  the  "  Universal  Friends  "  and  a  capable  business 
woman;  d.  Nov.  30,  1793,  Yates  County,  N.  Y. 


95.  Benjamin' Avery  {Joseph^,  James'' ,  James' ,   Christopher^) 

wasb.  Sept.  4,  1721,  at  Norwich;  m.  Elizabeth .  From  various 

documents  we  learn  that  he  hved  at  Norwich  and  at  Preston,  in 
that  part  now  called  Griswold.  October  24,  1750,  his  father 
deeded  to  him  certain  land,  through  love  {Norwich  Deeds,  12:112). 
Feb.  8,  1754,  Benjamin'  Avery,  with  his  sisters,  Tabitha  and 
Lucy,  and  their  husbands,  deeded  land  to  their  brother,  Joseph 
Avery  {Norwich  Deeds,  13:1).  Benjamin'  Avery  served  in  Capt. 
Ebenezer  Billing's  company  from  April  9th  to  Dec.  10th,  1756,  at 
Fort  William  Henry;  also  in  Capt.  John  Perkins's  reg't  which  was 
raised  in  1757  for  the  relief  of  Fort  William  Henry  and  marched 
from  Norwich  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:107,  236). 

In  his  will,  made  May  27,  1776,  he  mentioned  wife,  Elizabeth; 
sons,  Roger,  Benjamin,  and  Gardner;  daughters,  Hannah  Mills 
and  Lucy  Avery.  The  will  was  probated  July  1,  1776;  a  partial 
settlement  was  made  May  10,  1779  {Norwich  Wills,  6:383).  May 
4,  1781,  Elizabeth  Avery,  widow  of  Benjamin'  Avery,  made  appli- 
cation to  the  probate  court  that  '  *  Freeholders  may  be  appointed 
to  divide  &  set  out  her  dower  or  Thirds."     Feb.  11,  1783,  Eliza- 


186  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

beth  Avery,  widow,  and  Roger,  her  son,  sold  certain  lands  in 
Pachaug  (Griswold)  to  Nathan  Taylor  {Norwich  Deeds,  20:335). 
Children  of  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  Avery: 

383.  i.     Elizabeth%  bap.  Sept.  23,  1750,  Second  Church  of  Griswold. 

384.  ii.    Gardner",  bap.  Sept.  22;  1751,  Second  Church  of  Griswold. 

385.  iii.  Hannah%  bap.  April  14,  1754,  Second  Church  of  Griswold. 

386.  iv.  LuCY%  bap.  Aug.  29,  1756,  Second  Church  of  Griswold. 

387.  V.    Benjamin",  b.  March  4,  1758,  at  Griswold,  Conn. 

388.  vi.  Rogers  b.  April  14,  1761,  at  Griswold,  Conn. 

96.  Lucy'  Avery  {Joseph^,  James'',  James',  Christopher^)  was 
b.  May  2,  1723,  at  Norwich;  m.  May  19,  1747,  at  Preston,  as  his 
second  wife,  Jonathan  Tracy,  s,  of  Jonathan  and  Anna  (Palmer) 
Tracy.  He  was  b.  Nov.  20,  1702,  at  Preston.  She  was  alive  Feb. 
4,  1754,  at  which  time  she  and  her  husband  deeded  certain  land 
which  came  to  them  from  her  father,  Joseph  Avery,  lately  de- 
ceased. At  the  time  of  the  final  division  of  Joseph  Avery's  estate, 
May  5,  1755,  she  was  not  living,  as  the  heirs  of  the  * '  daughter 
Lucy  deceased,  wife  of  Jonathan  Tracy,"  inherited  their  mother's 
portion. 

In  his  will,  made  March  18,  and  proved  March  31,  1777,  Jona- 
than Tracy  mentioned  his  children  by  his  first  wife;  children, 
Israel,  and  Submit  Hartshorn;  grandchildren  by  the  name  of 
Wilmot  {Noriuich  Wills,  4:131). 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Tracy,  bap.  in  First 

Church  of  Preston: 

i.     Lucy",  bap.  Dec.  17,  1749. 
ii.    Hannah',  bap.  Nov.  27,  1750. 
iii.  Israel",  bap.  April  26,  1752;  m.  Mary  Petegal. 

iv.  Submit",  bap.  April  28,  1754;  m.  Joseph  Hartshorn;  d.  Jan.  16,    1806, 
at  Mansfield. 

97.  Benjamin"  Avery  (Benjamin*,  James^,  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Sept.  9,  1735,  at  Groton;  bap.  Aug.  9,  1741,  First 
Church  of  Groton;  m.  May  8,  1774,  at  Groton,  Mary  Burrows,  dau. 
of  Hubbard  and  Mercy  (Denison)  Burrows.  She  was  b.  Oct.  7, 
1749,  at  Groton.  In  1800,  Benjamin  Avery  was  living  at  Scipio, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  was  visited  by  David  Avery  (No.  511).  He  d. 
Jan.  27,  1816;  she  d.  April  19,  1823. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Burrows)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

389.  i.       Mary",  b.  March  31,  1775;  m.  Hezekiah  Avery  (No.  696). 

390.  ii.     Benjamin",  b.  Nov.  25,  1776. 


The    Fifth   Generation 


187 


391.  iii.     David%  b.  May  8,  1779. 

iv.     Anna%  b.  Jan.  30,  1782;  d.  March  4,  1804;  unm, 

392.  V.      Thankful",  b.  Jan.  31,  1784. 

393.  vi.     Lydia",  b.  June  7,  1786. 

vii.    Solomon",  b.  Jan.  2,  1789;  d.  Aug.  24,  1792. 

viii.  Hubbard%  b.  May  25,  1792;  d.  April  16,  1813;  unm. 


^tfti^' 


98.  Abigail'  Avery  {Benjamin^,  James',  James' ,  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Dec.  12,  1737,  at  Groton;  bap.  Aug.  9,  1741,  First  Church 
of  Groton;  m.  May  3,  1758,  at  Groton,  Nehemiah  Smith,  s.  of  John 
and  Temperance  (Holmes)  Smith.  He  was  b.  at  Groton,  Oct.  30, 
1733;  lived  in  the  part  now  called  Ledyard;  served  under  Capt. 
Robert  Denison,  third  company,  first  regiment,  Conn,  troops,  in 
Johnson's  fight  at  Lake  George  in  1755  (French  and  Indiayi  War 
Rolls,  1:10).     For  an  account  of  this  fight,  see  Avery's  History  of 

the  United  States  and  Its 
People,  volume  4,  pages  80 
to  90.  The  picture  of  the 
monument  commemorative 
of  this  battle  of  Lake 
George,  herewith  given, 
is  reproduced  from  that 
work  through  the  courtesy 
of  its  publishers.  The  Bur- 
rows Brothers  Company  of 
Cleveland.  Nehemiah  Smith 
also  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  as  lieutenant 
in  Samuel  McClellan's  reg't 
(Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p. 
543).  His  wife  d.  Aug.  8, 
1797;    he   d.   May   4,    1810, 

Lake  George  Battle  Monument,  1755.  both  at  Ledyard. 

Children  of    Nehemiah   and  Abigail    (Avery)   Smith,   b.  at 
Ledyard: 

i.       Abigail",  b.   Aug.  10,  1759;  m.  1st,  Peleg  Lewis;  2d,  Noah  Bailey;  d. 

Sept.  16,  1842,  at  Groton. 
ii.      Sarah%  b.  Aug.  9,  1761;   m.  Nathan  Bellows;   had  a  dau.,  Elizabeth, 

b.  Aug.  16,  1794,  who  m.  Frederick  Allyn  Avery  (No.  764);  d.  March 

10,  1827,  at  Ledyard. 


188  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

iii.     Anna",  b.  Dec.  8,  1765;   m.  Isaac  Gallop  (No.  80,  ii.);    he  d.  Aug.  3, 

1814,  at  Ledyard;    she  m.  2d,    Seth  Williams;  d.   Dec.   21,  1848,  at 

Ledyard. 
iv.      Nehemiah%  b.  April  21,  1767;  m.  Abigail  Geer;   d.  Aug.  13,  1803,  at 

Preston. 
V.        Temperance%   b.  Jan.   1,  1769;  m.  Park  Allyn;  2d;   Packer;  d. 

Feb.  6,  1859,  at  Ledyard. 
vi.      Thankful%  b.  Jan.  1,  1769;  d.  Sept.  6,  1770.  at  Ledyard. 
vii.     John%  b.  April  9,  1771:  m.  1st,  Martha   Brown;  2d,  Abigail  Palmer; 

d.  April  3,  1856,  at  Salem,  Conn, 
viii.    Thankful",  b.    Jan.    21,   1775;   m.    Ezra   Geer;   d.   July  1,  1864,  at 

Ledyard. 

99.  Daniel"  Avery  (Benjamin*,  James\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Nov.  14,  1740;  bap.  Aug.  9,  1741,  First  Church  of  Groton; 
m.  Nov.  14,  1765,  at  Groton,  Deborah  Avery  (No.  276),  dau.  of 
Ebenezer  and  Lucy  (Latham)  Avery.  She  was  b.  Feb.  1,  1742, 
at  Groton.  He  was  ensign  in  Capt.  Gallop's  company,  in  1776 
{Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev' n,  p.  452),  and  was  killed  at  Fort  Gris- 
wold.  In  the  Avery-Morgan  burying-ground,  his  tombstone  is 
still  standing.     It  has  the  following  inscription: 

In  Memory  of  Ensign 
Daniel  Avery  who 
nobly  Sa- 
crificed his  Life 
in  Defence  of  fort 
Griswould  &  the 
Liberties  of  America 

sept  6  1781  in  ye 
41st  year  of  his  Age. 

His  widow,  Deborah;  sons,  Daniel,  Elias,  Dudley,  Isaac, 
Latham,  Abel;  daus.,  Deborah  and  Rachel,  each  received  a  share 
of  his  estate  which  was  divided  Oct.  2,  1792  (Stonington  Wills, 
6:463).  Deborah  Avery  was  a  woman  of  energy  and  ability,  and 
her  eight  children  were  carefully  brought  up. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

394.  i.       Daniel%  b.  Sept.  18,  1766. 

395.  ii.      Elias%  b.  April  6,  1768. 

396.  iii.    Dudley%  b.  March  19,  1770. 

397.  iv.     Isaac",  b.  March  30,  1772. 

398.  V.     Deborah",  b.  Jan.  12,  1774;  m.  Ebenezer  Avery  (No.  755). 

399.  vi.    Latham",  b.  Dec.  19,  1775. 

400.  vii.   Rachel",  b.  Aug.  10,  1777. 

viii.  Abel",  b.  July  17,  1779;  d.  in  Demerara;  unm. 


The   Fifth    Generation  189 

100.  Sarah  Avery  {Benjamin^  James',  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  July  29,  1742,  at  Groton;  bap.  Dec.  19,  1742,  First  Church 
of  Groton;  m.  Hubbard  Burrows,  s.  of  Hubbard  and  Mercy  (Den- 
ison)  Burrows.  He  was  b.  June  26,  1739,  at  Groton.  He  was  a 
private  in  Capt.  John  Stanton's  company,  4th  reg't,  campaign  of 
1759  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:167);  was  a  captain  of 
mihtia  in  the  Revolutionary  war;  was  in  the  siege  around  New 
York,  1776  (Comi.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  333,  451,  577);  was  in 
Capt.  Walker's  company  and  marched  under  Lafayette,  1780 
{Collections  of  the  Conn.  Hist.  Soc,  8:122);  was  killed  at  the 
massacre  of  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781.  His  first  wife  was 
Prisciila  Baldwin.  October  3,  1775,  Mr.  Hubbard  Burrows  of 
Groton  complained  to  the  court,  for  his  wife,  she  being  one  of  the 
heirs,  that  the  estate  of  her  father,  Benjamin  Avery,  had  not  been 
settled.  The  court  ordered  Benjamin  Avery,  the  executor,  to 
appear  and  explain  {Stonington  Wills).  Sarah'  Avery  m.  2d, 
John  Hicks  after  1784  {Groton  Deeds,  9:88).  According  to  their 
gravestones  in  the  Mystic  burying-ground,  he  d.  May  3,  1818,  at 
Groton,  aged  87;  "his  wife  Sarah"  d.  same  place,  Sept.  3,  1834, 
aged  92. 

Children  of  Hubbard  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Burrows: 

i.       Sarah",  b.  July  2,  1770;  m.  Caleb  Haley;  d.  Feb.  21,  1862,  at  Groton. 

ii.      Elisha%  m.  Rebecca  Turner;  d.  June  10,  1836. 

iii.     Perez%  b.  May  18,  1778;  m.  Deborah  Wightman;  d.  Dec,  1838. 

iv.     Priscilla",  b.  May  18,  1778;  m.  Daniel  Morgan;    d.  July  23,  1843,  at 

Groton. 
V.      Benjamin",  died  young. 

vi.       SOLOMON\ 

vii.     Daniel",  died  young. 

viii.   Denison",  m.  Nancy  Burrows. 

Child  of  John  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Hicks,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.       Daniel  Avery",  m.  Fanny  Chesebrough;  he  was  lost  at  sea,  Sept.  25, 
1815;  no  children. 

102.  Mary'  Avery  {Benjamin^,  James',  James',  Christopher') 
was  b.  Jan.,  1748,  at  Groton;  m.  Youngs  Morgan,  s.  of  James  and 
Mary  (Morgan)  Morgan.  He  was  b.  about  1741,  at  Groton.  He 
was  in  Capt.  Joseph  Gallop's  company,  1776  {Conn.  Men  in  the 
Rev'n,  p.  452).  He  d.  May  19,  1809,  at  Groton;  she  d.  Jan.  3, 
1820. 


190  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


Children  of  Youngs  and  Mary  (Avery)  Morgan,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.       YouNGS'S  b.  Feb.  11,  1774;  d.  May  12,  1776. 

ii.     Avery",  b.   Oct.    7,  1779;  m.   Betsy  Hicks,  his  cousin,   (No.  107,  iii); 

d.  March  18,  1846,  at  Groton. 
iii.     Y0UNGS%   b.  about  1782;  m.  1st,   Mary  Mitchell;  2d,   Phebe  Avery; 

moved  to  Cranston,  R.  I. ;  no  issue  by  second  marriage, 
iv.     Mary",  d.  April  26,  1816,  at  Groton,  aged  30;  unm. 

103.  Denison'  Avery  {Benjamin\  James\  James\  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  June  11,  1749,  at  Groton;  bap.  Sept.  22,  1751,  First 
Church  of  Groton;  m.  Hannah  Babcock,  dau.  of  Isaac  and  Hannah 
(Worden)  Babcock  of  Westerly.  She  was  b.  June  28,  1770,  at 
Westerly,  R.  I.  He  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  Capt.  Gal- 
lop's company,  Sthreg't,  1776;  was  a  pensioner  in  Tolland  county, 
1832  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  452,  656).  He  d.  Oct.  11,  1846; 
she  d.  May  21,  1851,  at  Salina,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Denison  and  Hannah  (Babcock)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton: 

401.  i.        Alfred  Anson%  b.  Sept.  12,  1794. 

402.  ii.      Hannah",  b.  July  2,  1797. 

iii.  Phebe%  b.  Jan.  29,  1799;  d.  Jan.  16,  1880,  at  Syracuse;  unm. 

403.  iv.  Denison%  b.  June  14,  1801. 

404.  V.  Benjamin  Gilson%  b.  May  6,  1804. 

405.  vi.  Dudley  Bailey%  b.  June  28,  1806. 

406.  vii.  Rhoda  Emeline%  b.  June  22,  1809;  m.  William  Randall  Avery 

(No.  860). 

104.  Lucy'  Avery  {Benjamin\  James',  James-,  Christopher') 
was  b.  about  1751,  at  Groton;  m.  Jonathan  Burrows,  s.  of  Hub- 
bard and  Mercy  (Denison)  Burrows.  He  was  b.  May  13,  1752,  at 
Groton.  He  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war  in  the  company  of 
his  brother,  Hubbard  Burrows  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  452). 
Jonathan  Burrows  and  his  wife  are  buried  in  the  old  Brown  bury- 
ing-ground,  Noank,  Conn.     She  d.  Aug.,  1844,  93  years  old. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Burrows,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.      Sally%  m.  Daniel  Searles. 

ii.     Nancy",  m.  1st,  Richard  Potter;  2d,  Daniel  Searles;  his  second  wife. 

iii.    Cynthia",  m. Coville;  settled  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y. 

iv.    Maria%  b.  May  7,  1784;  m.  Moses  Wilbur  at  Noank;  d.  Nov.  19,  1876. 

V.     Caroline",  m.  Elam  Wilbur;  d.  Nov.  12,  1871. 

vi.    Jonathan",  b.  Sept.  9,  1788;  m.  Sally  Potter;  was  in  war  of  1812;  d. 

July  27,  1860,  at  Noank. 
vii.  Mercy  ,  b.  June  10,  1791;  m.  Joseph  Potter;  d.  March  25,  1872. 


The   Fifth   Generation  191 

105.  Thankful'  Avery  (Benjamin',  James\  James',  Christo- 
pher')  was  bap.  Aug.  1,  1755,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  1st, 
Elihu  Avery  (No.  278,  q.  v.),  by  whom  she  had  two  children. 
After  his  death,  she  m.  Ebenezer  Rogers,  s.  of  Ebenezer  and 
Naomi  (Fox)  Rogers,  and  moved  to  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.  He 
was  b.  Sept.  5,  1758,  at  Groton.  He  d  June  22,  1816,  in  Cayuga 
County;  she  d.  1837,  at  Moravia,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Thankful  (Avery)  Rogers: 

i.  Ebenezer". 

ii.  Nancy",  m.  Peleg  Gallop. 

iii.  Solomon-. 

iv.  Elias",  m.  Matilda  Skinner. 

V.  Gordon". 

vi.      HENRY^ 

vii.    David". 

viii.  Betsey%  d.  unm. 

The  above  record  is  taken  from  the  David  Avery  ms.  and 
from  family  tradition. 

106.  Deborah'  Avery  (Benjamin*,  James\  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Oct.  2,  1758,  at  Groton;  bap.  Sept.  2,  1759,  First 
Church  of  Groton;  m.  Nov.  20,  1784,  at  Norwich,  James  Story. 

Children  of  James  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Story: 

1.  James",  b.  Jan.  17,  1786. 

ii.  Avery",  b.  Sept.  6,  1789;  d.  Sept.  13,  1789. 

iii.  Nancy%  b.  April  11,  1791. 

iv.  Polly",  b.  Nov.  22,  1793. 

V.  Betsey",  b.  Nov.  27,  1795;  d.  Dec.  25,  1795. 

vi.  Henry",  b.  Feb.  15,  1799;  d.  Feb.  17,  1799. 

107.  Hannah'  Avery  (Benjamin^,  James"",  James\  Christo- 
pher') was  bap.  May  30,  1762,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  John 
Hicks.  She  d.  Sept.  21,  1853,  at  Long  Island,  N.  Y. ;  was  buried 
in  Avery-Morgan  burying-ground  at  Groton. 

Children  of  John  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Hicks,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.      John",  b.  Aug.  12,  1785. 
ii.     Sylvanus",  m.  Mary  Hedden. 

iii.    Betsey",  b.  June  17,  1789;  m.  Avery  Morgan  (No.  102,  ii) ;  d.  May  9, 
1857,  at  Groton. 

108.  Ann'  Avery  (Thomas',  Thomas'',  James',  Christopher') 
was  b.  May  12,  1707,  at  Montville;  bap.  May  25,  1707,  First  Church 
of  New  London;  m.  Nov.  16,  1727,  at  New  London,  Samuel  Grif- 
fing,  s.  of  Serg't  Ebenezer  and  Mary  (Harris)   GrifRng.      The 


192  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

name  is  often  spelled  GrifRn.  He  was  b.  June  8,  1705,  at  New 
London.  July  26,  1727,  Ann  Avery  called  herself  the  only  child 
of  Thomas  Avery,  deceased.  Samuel  Griffing  d.  before  Jan.  27, 
1737,  at  which  time  his  widow,  Ann,  administered  his  estate 
{Stonington  Probate  Records).  She  m.  2d,  Oct.  6,  1737,  at  Ston- 
ington,  Sylvanus  Miner,  s.  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Minor 
(No.  25,  ii)  and  her  own  cousin.  He  was  b.  March  3,  1709,  at 
Stonington.  They  lived  in  Voluntown  in  1754.  He  d.  March  15, 
1786,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Ann   (Avery)    Griffing,   b.  at  New 
London: 

i.  Samuel",  b.  Sept.  27,  1728;  m.  Desire  Crary,  at  Stonington;  was  in 
Capt.  Lattimore's  company  of  militia,  1757  {French  and  Indian  War 
Rolls.  1:238). 

ii.     Thomas%  b.  Nov.  27,  1730;  m.  Mrs.  Jerusha  Chapman,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  Sylvanus  and  Ann  (Avery)  Miner,  b.  at  Stoning- 
ton: 

i.  Ann%  b.  Oct.  27,  1738. 

ii.  Thomas",  b.  June  23,  1740. 

iii.  Sylvanus",  b.  Oct.  5,  1742. 

iv.  Hannah",  b.  Jan.  2,  1745. 

V.  James",  b.  Nov.  12,  1747. 


109.  Ransford"  Avery  (Sajnuel*,  Thomas',  James",  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  June  26,  1703,  at  Saybrook,  Conn.;  m.  Sept.  23, 
1723,  at  New  London,  Elizabeth  Rogers,  dau.  of  James  and  Eliza- 
beth Rogers.  She  was  b.  June  14,  1706,  at  New  London;  date  of 
death  unknown.  He  m.  2d,  Dec.  22,  1742,  at  New  London,  Annis 
Strickland.  Hansford  Avery  sailed  April  14,  1745,  on  one  of  the 
seven  ships  of  the  fleet  sent  by  Connecticut  against  Cape  Breton. 
He  died  in  the  harbor  of  Louisburg,  Aug.  18,  1745.  His  widow, 
Annis,  administered  his  estate,  Nov.  14,  1745.  She  m.  2d,  Aug. 
28,  1748,  at  New  London,  John  Davis. 

Children  of  Ransford  and  Elizabeth  (Rogers)  Avery: 

407.  i.  Samuel".  Samuel  Avery,  minor,  upwards  of  14,  s.  of  Ransford 
Avery,  late  of  New  London,  chose  his  uncle,  Ephraim  Avery, 
for  his  guardian,  April  3,  1752  (New  London  Probate  Journal, 
6:114). 

There  were  other  children,  for  SamueP  Avery,  the  father  of 
Ransford  Avery,  in  his  will,  dated  Feb.  22,  1749,  said:  "I  give  to 
the  children  of  my  son  Ransford  deceased  five  shillings  to  each 


The  Fifth   Generation  193 

of  them  and  to  his  son  Samuel  who  now  lives  with  me  I  give  fifty 
pounds  money  old  tenor"  (Netv  London  Wills,  F:56). 

110.  Martha'  Avery  (Samuel*,  Thomas\  James\  Christo- 
pher^) was  mentioned  in  her  father's  will;  m.  Peter  Comstock,  s. 
of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Prentice)  Comstock.  He  was  b.  March 
4,  1701,  at  New  London;  bap.  June  8,  1701,  First  Church  of  New 
London;  d.  at  sea  about  1742. 

April  24,  1737.  "a  Child  of  Peter  Comstock 's  Baptized  Ransford,  &  1  of 
Daniels  son  Daniel.  Baptized  Daniel,  the  fathers  are  Brothers,  the 
mothers  that  brot  them  are  Sisters"  (Hempstead's  Diary,  p.  319). 

It  has  been  said  that  Martha  Avery  m.  2d,  Pelatiah  Bliss, 
s.  of  Samuel  and  Anne  (Elderkin)  Bliss,  b.  Nov.  17,  1697,  at  Nor- 
wich, but  we  have  not  been  able  to  find  proof  thereof.  January 
11,  1743,  Martha  Comstock  was  made  administrator  of  the  estate 
of  Peter  Comstock.  March  21,  1753,  the  estate  was  divided  among 
the  widow,  Martha;  sons,  Peter,  Daniel,  Ransford,  and  Thomas; 
daughters,  Elizabeth  and  Jemima  (New  London  Wills,  E:92  & 
F:412). 

Children  of  Peter  and  Martha  (Avery)  Comstock: 

i.      Elizabeth*,  m.  Jonathan  Chapel. 

ii.  Jemima%  bap.  April  5,  1724,  at  Montville;  m.  Richard  Chapel;  d.  July 
29,  1809,  aged  86. 

iii.  Peter',  b.  July  11,  1731,  at  Montville;  m.  1st,  Elizabeth  Fitch;  2d,  Esther 
Merrick;  d.  April  3,  1803,  at  Montville. 

iv.  Ransford%  b.  March  6, 1737;  m.  1st,  Catharine  Vibber;  2d,  Azuba  Davis; 
served  under  Capt.  Lattimore  "att  the  Time  of  Alarm  for  Fort  Wil- 
liam Henry  and  parts  Adjacent,  Aug.,  1757"  {French  and  Indian 
War  Rolls,  1 :233) .     He  d.  Feb.  8,  1814,  at  Exeter,  N.  Y. 

v.  Thomas%  bap.  June  3,  1739,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  Sarah 
Comstock.  He  was  a  captain  of  militia  in  Sunderland,  Vermont ; 
killed  at  the  Battle  of  Bennington,  Aug.  16,  1777. 

vi.  Daniel',  b.  July,  1742;  m.  Mary  Bishop;  d.  Jan.  11,  1816,  at  Shel- 
burne,  Vt. 

111.  Elizabeth"'  Avery  [SamueV,  Thomas'",  James',  Christo- 
pher^) was  bap.  Sept.  16,  1711,  First  Church  of  Norwich;  m.  Dec. 
30,  1731,  at  New  London,  Daniel  Comstock,  s.  of  Daniel  and  Eliza- 
beth (Prentice)  Comstock.  He  was  b.  Sept.  22,  1703,  at  New 
London;  he  was  the  brother  of  Peter  Comstock,  who  m.  Martha 
Avery,  No.  110,  above.  Daniel  Comstock  made  his  will,  March 
17,  1768,  at  New  London.    He  mentioned  his  wife,  Elizabeth;  son, 


194  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Daniel;  "my  two  daughters  Prudence  Maples  and  Elizabeth  Dar- 
te;"  proved  April  12,  1768  {New  London  Wills,  H:642). 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Comstock: 

i.      Daniel",  bap.  April  24,  1737,  First  Church  of  New  London. 

ii.     WiLLlAM%  bap.  April  29,  1739,  First  Church  of  New  London. 

iii.    Elizabeth%   bap.  June  21,  1741,  First   Church   of   New  London;   m. 

Darte. 

iv.    Prudence*,  m.  William  Maples;  d.  before  1781,  when  William  Maples 

m.  a  second  wife. 

112.  Alethea'  Avery  {Samuel*,  Thomas',  James\  Christo- 
pher') was  bap.  July  25,  1714,  First  Church  of  Norwich;  m.  Dec. 
17,  1729,  at  Groton,  James  Allyn,  s.  of  Robert  and  Deborah 
(Avery)  Allyn  (No.  10).  He  was  b.  Feb.  29,  1700,  at  Groton. 
In  his  will,  made  Dec.  14,  1775,  and  proved  Dec.  22,  1777,  he  men- 
tioned wife,  Alethea;  sons,  James,  Ephraim,  David;  daus.,  Alethea 
Spicer,  Lois  Williams,  Sarah  Spicer,  Lydia  Geer,  Elizabeth  Mor- 
gan, Jerusha  Allyn,  Hannah  Allyn  {Stonington  Wills,  4:62). 
She  d.  Feb.,  1776;  he  d.  Nov.,  1776;  both  at  Ledyard. 

Children  of  James  and  Alethea  (Avery)  Allyn,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.        Alethea%  b.  April  4,  1731;  m.  Capt.  Oliver  Spicer. 

ii.        Deborah",  b.  Feb.  18,  1733;  d.  Jan.,  1734. 

iii.      Deborah",  b.  Dec.  23,  1735;  d.  Feb.  23,  1755,  at  Groton. 

iv.       Lois",  b.  March  20,  1737;  m.  Samuel  Williams. 

V.  James",  b.  July  17,  1739;  m.  Ann  Stanton;  d.  Oct.  13,  1825,  at  Groton 
(Allyn's  Point). 

vi.       Sarah",  b.  March  20,  1741;  m.  Abel  Spicer. 

vii.      Lydia",  b.  Jan.  15,  1744;  m. Geer. 

viii.  Ephraim",  b.  June  18,  1747;  m.  Temperance  Morgan  (No.  82,  iii), 
dau.  of  William  and  Temperance  (Avery)  Morgan;  m.  2d,  her 
sister,  Rebecca  Morgan  Gallop.     He  d.  Dec,  1816,  at  Groton. 

ix.  Elizabeth",  b.  Nov.  9,  1749;  m.  Isaac  Morgan;  d.  Sept.  20,  1833,  at 
Hartland,  Vt. 

X.       Jerusha",  b.  July  5,  1752. 

xi.      Hannah",  b.  Feb.  14,  1755. 

xii.  David",  b.  Oct.  23,  1759;  m.  Desire  Taylor;  was  a  soldier  in  the  Rev'n 
{Collections  Conn.  Hist.  Soc,  8:216);  d.  March  17,  1841,  at  Mont- 
gomery, Mass. 

113.  Hannah'  Avery  {SamueV,  Thomas\  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  bap.  June  29,  1718,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m. 
May  27,  1731,  at  Groton,  Samuel  Allyn,  s.  of  Robert  and  Deborah 
(Avery)  Allyn  (No.  10).     He  was  b.  May  26,  1704,  at  Groton;  he 


The  Fifth    Generation  195 

d.  Feb. .  1762,  at  Groton ;  the  date  of  her  death  has  not  been  ascer- 
tained. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Allyn,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.        Hannah",  b.  Nov.  25,  1732;  m.  James  Lamb. 

ii.       Samuel",  b.  Nov.  21,  1734;  m.  Mary  Wood;  served  in  campaign  for 

the  relief  of  Fort  William  Henry,  1757  {French  and  Indian  War 

Rolls,  1:197);  ensign,  1769  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  13:239);  captain;  killed 

Sept.  6,  1781,  at  Fort  Griswold  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  556,  577). 
iii.     Eunices   b.  March   29,  1737;   m.  John    Wood;  d.    Feb.   24,   1832,  at 

Groton. 
iv.      Esther*,  b.  April  19,  1739;  m.  Jonathan  Ransford  Miner  (No.  115,  i). 

V.       Stephen",  b.  May  3,  1741;  m.  French. 

vi.      Tryal",   b.   April  14,    1744;   m.    Mary  Morgan;    was  in  8th   reg't  of 

miHtia,   1776  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,   618);  d.   March,    1814,    at 

Groton. 
vii.    Thomas",  b.  Nov.  27,  1746;  m.  Bathsheba  Stoddard;  d.  April  7,  1828, 

at  Ledyard. 
viii.   Lucy",   b.  Jan.   30,   1748;   m.   Mark    Stoddard;    d.   July   29,   1831,  at 

Groton. 
ix.      Prudence",  b.  May  19,  1751;  m.  Amos  Turner;  d.  Sept.  27,  1834,  at 

Groton. 
X.       Elizabeth",  b.  Jan.  13,  1753;  m.  Richard  Smith. 

xi.      Deborah",  b.  May  3,  1755;  m.  1st,  John  Wiley;  2d,  Spring. 

xii.    Thankful",  b.  Feb.  14,  1762;  m.  Amos  Turner,  nephew  of  the  above 

Amos  Turner;  d.  May  19,  1839,  at  Groton. 

115.  Ann'  Avery  (Samuel*,  Thomas',  James'',  Christopher') 
was  bap.  May  22,  1719,  First  Church  of  New  London;  m.  April  22, 
1739,  at  Stonington,  Jonathan  Miner,  s.  of  Thomas  and  Hannah 
(Avery)  Minor  (No.  25).  He  was  b.  Feb.  25,  1714,  at  Stoning- 
ton. Ann,  wife  of  Jonathan  Miner,  was  admitted  to  the  First 
Church  of  Stonington,  Jan.  6,  1740. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Ann  (Avery)  Miner,  b.  at  Stoning- 
ton; bap.  in  the  First  Church  of  Stonington: 

i.  Jonathan  Ransford",  b.  Feb.  23,  1740;  bap.  Feb.  24,  1740;  m.  Esther 
Allyn  (No.  113,  iv) ;  served  in  the  campaigns  of  1758  and  1759 
{French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:64,  170);  d.  Dec.  24,  1793,  at 
Stephenson,  N.  Y. 
ii.  Elizabeth",  b.  Nov.  14,  1741;  bap.  Nov.  15,  1741. 
iii.  Christopher",  b.  Jan.  11,  1744;  bap.  Jan.  22,  1744;  m.  Lucy  Avery, 
whose  parentage  has  not  been  ascertained.  They  had  a  son,  Na- 
than, b.  March  4,  1771,  at  Tolland,  Conn.,  who  m.  1st,  Dorothy 
Foote;  2d,  Affa  Worthington.  Christopher  Miner  served  in  the 
campaign  of  1758  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:61);  he  d. 
Sept.  24,  1815,  at  Peru,  Mass. ;  shed.  March  6,  1825,  at  Peru,  aged  81. 


196  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

iv.      Lydia%  b.  Jan.  15,  1749;  bap.  May  20,  1750. 

V.       Samuel%  b.  June  27,  1752;  bap.  Aug.  16,  1752. 

vi.     Ephraim",  b.  Aug.  10,  1754;  m.  Elizabeth  Goodsell;  d.  April  3,  1813, 

at  Windsor,  Mass. 
vii.     WiLLiAM%  b.  1756. 

116.  John'  Avery  (Samuel*,  Thomas\  James\  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Feb.  14,  1723,  at  Montville;  m.  March  27,  1745,  at  Stoning- 
ton,  Prudence  Miner,  dau.  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Minor 
(No,  25).  She  was  b.  Dec.  6,  1719,  at  Stonington.  The  date  of 
the  birth  of  John'  Avery  is  given  as  above  in  accordance  with  the 
record  printed  in  Sweet's  The  Averys  of  Groton,  p.  325,  but  the 
records  of  the  Second  Church  of  the  North  Parish  (Montville) 
show  the  baptism  of  a  Jonathan,  son  of  Samuel,  Jan.  20,  1722-23. 
It  is  very  possible  that  this  Jonathan  was  identical  with  John' 
Avery,  and  that  he  was  b.  Feb.  14,  1722,  and  bap.  Jan.  20,  1723. 
He  d.  Aug.  21,  1790.  In  his  will,  dated  at  Groton,  June  30,  1790, 
he  mentioned  wife,  Prudence;  sons,  John,  Amos,  and  Samuel; 
dau.,  Hannah.  She  d.  Dec.  8,  1790.  In  her  will,  made  Sept.  16, 
1790,  she  mentioned  dau.,  Hannah  Avery;  son,  John  and  his  wife, 
Mary;  son,  Amos,  and  his  wife,  Mary;  son,  Samuel. 

Children  of  John  and  Prudence  (Miner)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

418.  i.        John",  b.  Dec.  23,  1745. 

ii.  Prudence",  b.  Oct.  3,  1747;  d.  March  20,  1753. 

iii.  Lydia%  b.  Aug.  10,  1749;  d.  March  8,  1753. 

419.  iv.  Hannah%  b.  July  17,  1751. 

420.  V.  Amos%  b.  Feb.  1,  1754. 

vi.      Lydia",  b.  July  5,  1756;  d.  Nov.  19,  1782;  unm. 

vii.  Samuel",  b.  July  13,  1759;  d.  July  25,  1792,  at  Groton;  in  his 
will,  dated  July  16,  1792,  he  left  his  property  to  his  brothers, 
John  and  Amos,  and  his  sister,  Hannah  Woodworth. 

viii.    Thomas",  b.  Aug.  27,  1761;  d.  Oct.  30,  1782,  at  Groton;  unm. 

117.  Mary'  Avery  {Samuel\  Thomas',  James^,  Christopher') 
was  b.  April  22,  1725,  at  Montville;  bap.  Aug.  21,  1725,  First 
Church  of  Montville;  m.  John  Williams,  jun.,  b.  July  14,  1714,  at 
Groton.  He  d.  Nov.  13,  1798,  at  Groton;  she  d.  Oct.  5,  1805,  at 
Groton.     (Family  Bible  of  John  Williams) . 

Children  of  John  and  Mary  (Avery)  Williams: 
i.      John",  b.  June  19,  1746. 

ii.     RoswELL",  b.  Jan.  31,  1748  ;  d.  April  10,  1758,  at  Groton. 
iii.    Christopher",  b.  March  6,  1750. 
iv.    Elizabeth",  b.  Nov.  24,  1752  ;  d.  March"  12,  1753,  at  Groton. 


The   Fifth   Generation  197 

V.     Amos",  b.  May  19,   1754 ;    m.   Mabel   Newton ;   d.  June  25,  1838,   at 
Preston. 

118.  Ephraim'  Avery  (SamueV,  Thomas\  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  bap.  June  25,  1727,  First  Church  of  Montville;  m. 
Abigail  Bill.  Various  deeds  show  that  he  was  of  Southampton, 
Mass.,  in  1773;  of  Montgomery,  Mass.,  1786.  In  his  will,  made 
Jan.  1,  1790,  he  called  himself  of  Montague,  Mass.;  mentioned 
wife,  Abigail;  daus.,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  French;  Pru- 
dence; wife  of  Stephen  Root;  Bathsheba,  wife  of  Peter  Bundy; 
sons,  Ransford,  William,  Ephraim,  Abel,  youngest  son,  Samuel; 
executors,  Jabez  Bill  of  Norwich,  and  Sylvester  Squiers  of  Mont- 
gomery (Northampton,  Mass.,  Wills,  18:26).  He  d.  April  1,  1792, 
at  Montgomery,  Mass. ;  she  d.  Dec.  25,  1811,  at  Montgomery. 

Children  of  Ephraim  and  Abigail  (Bill)  Avery: 

421.  i.      Ransford*. 

422.  ii.     Elizabeth". 

423.  iii.    Prudence'. 

424.  iv.    WlLLiAM%  b.  Sept.  2,  1757,  at  Montgomery,  Mass. 

425.  V.     Ephraim'. 

426.  vi.    Abel\ 

427.  vii.  Bathsheba\ 

428.  viii.  Samuel",  b.  July  24,  1771. 

119.  Jane'  Avery  (Abraham*,  Thomas\  James\  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Dec.  3,  1727,  at  Montville;  m.  James  Chappell. 

120.  Thomas'  Avery  (Abraham*,  Thomas",  James\  Christo- 
pher') wash.  Oct.  16,  1730,  at  Montville;  said  to  havem.  1st,  Sarah 
Miner  or  Sarah  Mason,  and  2d,  Ruth  Houghton.  August  27,  1757, 
Thomas  Avery  bought  land  of  his  sister,  Hannah  Avery,  North 
Parish,  New  London,  which  land  she  had  inherited  from  her 
mother.  This  land  was  by  the  side  of  land  belonging  to  her  hon- 
ored father,  Abraham  Avery  (Norwich  Deeds,  16:188).  He  d. 
Dec.  15,  1815. 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  Avery,  b.  at  Montville: 
i.      Samuel',  b.  Feb.  20,  1763  ;  d.  unm. 
ii.      Hannah%  b.  Sept.  20,  1764 ;  d.  unm. 
iii.    Thomas',  b.  March  4,  1767;  d.  unm. 

429.  iv.    Sarah',  b.  Sept.  26,  1769. 

Child  of  Thomas  and  Ruth  (Houghton)  Avery,  b.  at  Mont- 
ville: 

430.  i.     Ruth',  b.  Jan.  23,  1772. 


198  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

121.  Hannah''  Avery  (Abraham*,  Thomas\  James^,  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Oct.  31,  1732,  at  Montville;  m.  Sept.  1,  1758,  as  his 
second  wife,  Daniel  Smith,  s.  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Smith. 
He  was  b.  at  East  Lyme;  a  farmer.  She  d.  before  1783,  when  he 
m.  his  third  wife.     He  d.  about  1800,  at  East  Lyme. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Smith,  b.  at  East 
Lyme,  Conn.: 

i.       Daniel%  b.  July  30,  1759  ;  m.  Hannah  Wightman  ;  d.  April  7,  1809,  at 

East  Lyme, 
ii.     Betsey%  b.  Feb.  11,  1761  ;  m.  Daniel  Ayer. 
iii.    Hannah',  b.  June  10,   1763  ;   m.   David  Strong  ;    d.   Nov.  11,  1835,  at 

East  Hampton,  Conn, 
iv.    Eunice',  b.  May  1,  1765  ;  d.  July  3,  1828  ;  unm. 
V.     SiMON%  b.  March  7,  1767  ;  m.  Mary  Burr  ;  capt.  of  militia,  1798,  second 

company,  33d  Conn,  reg't ;  d.  April  22,  1851,  at  East  Lyme, 
vi.    RuAMA%  b.  Feb.  3,  1769 ;  m.  Lay  Ayer ;  d.  Jan.  3,  1835,  at  East  Lyme. 
vii.  Nathan%  b.  Aug.  21,  1771  ;  d.  March  24,  1840 ;  unm. 

122.  Ruth''  Avery  (Abraham*,  Thomas\  James',  Christopher') 
was  b.  July  1,  1735,  at  Montville;  m.  Dec.  4,  1757,  at  Montville, 
Abel  Griswold,  s.  of  Francis  and  Abigail  (Bingham)  Griswold. 
He  was  b.  March  12,  1731,  at  Norwich.  She  d.  Feb.  1,  1772,  and 
was  buried  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Norwich  Town.  In  his  will, 
dated  May  22,  1803,  Abel  Griswold  mentioned  son,  Abel;  daus., 
Lucy,  wife  of  Simeon  Edgerton;  Lydia,  wife  of  Eliab  Hyde  (Nor- 
wich Wills,  10:343).     He  d.  May  8,  1804,  at  Norwich. 

Children  of  Abel  and  Ruth  (Avery)  Griswold,  b.  at  Norwich, 
and  bap.  in  First  Church  of  Norwich: 

i.  LucY«,  b.  Sept.  15,  1758 ;  d.  Aug.  24,  1759,  at  Norwich. 

ii.  Daniel%  b.  Oct.  26,  1760  ;  d.  Jan.  14,  1782,  at  Norwich ;  unm. 

iii,  Abel%  b.  Sept.  26,  1762  ;  m.  Esther . 

iv.  LucY%  b.  Feb.  26,  1765 ;  m.  Simeon  Edgerton. 

V.  RUTH%  b.  May  6,  1767 ;  d.  July  5,  1770,  at  Norwich. 

vi.  Lydia%  b.  Oct.  22,  1768 ;  m.  Eliab  Hyde  ;  d.  1833,  at  Norwich. 

vii.  Francis%  b.  Sept.  20,  1771  ;  d.  Jan.  9,  1773,  at  Norwich. 

123.  Jonathan'  Avery  (Abraham* ,  Thomas',  James\  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  June  27;  1737,  at  Montville;  m.  Dec.  9,  1760,  Pre- 
served Smith,  dau.  of  Simon  and  Dorothy  (Beckwith)  Smith. 
They  lived  at  East  Lyme.  Jonathan  Avery  d.  Feb.  7,  1805,  at 
East  Lyme.  May  10,  1810,  Preserved  Avery,  widow,  entered  into 
a  pre-nuptial  contract  with   Noah   Beebe   (Lyme  Deeds,  27:15). 


The    Fifth    Generation  199 


She  d.  Feb.  9,  1833,  at  East  Lyme.  Jonathan  Avery  and  his  wife 
were  buried  side  by  side  at  East  Lyme,  in  the  old  ' '  Stone  Church  " 
cemetery.  There  is  nothing  on  her  tombstone  to  show  that  she 
was  married  a  second  time. 

Child  of  Jonathan  and  Preserved  (Smith)  Avery,  b.  at  East 
Lyme,  Conn. : 

431.  i.     Abraham%  b.  Sept.  12,  1764. 

124.  Nathan'  Avery  {Abraham*,  Thomas',  James\  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  May  6,  1741,  at  Montville;  m.  Deborah  Thomas,  dau. 
of  John  and  Hannah  (Spofford)  Thomas  of  Lebanon.  She  was  b. 
April  7,  1739,  at  Lebanon.  The  estate  of  Nathan  Avery  was  pro- 
bated in  Windham,  Conn.,  May  5,  1766.  April  24,  1771,  John 
Thomas  of  Lebanon,  for  the  "natural  love  and  affection  I  bear 
my  grandson,  William  Thomas  Avery,"  deeded  to  his  use  certain 
lands  (Lebanon  Land  Rec,  14:392).  April  29,  1785,  at  Lebanon, 
William  Thomas  Avery,  only  surviving  heir  of  Nathan  Avery,  de- 
ceased, received  £130  from  Peleg  Thomas,  executor,  by  the  hand 
of  Capt.  Elihu  Thomas  {Windham  County  Wills,  12:267).  Peleg 
and  Elihu  Thomas  were  his  uncles. 

Child  of  Nathan  and  Deborah  (Thomas)  Avery,  b.  at  Lebanon: 

432.  i.    William  Thomas",  b.  Jan.  19,  1764. 

125.  Abraham"'  Avery  {Abraham*,  Thomas',  James'',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  July  18,  1744,  at  Montville;  m.  Nov.  27,  1771,  Re- 
becca Stevens.  Her  descendants  say  that  she  was  a  granddaughter 
of  the  Rev.  Timothy  Stevens  of  Glastonbury.  Abraham  Avery 
lived  first  at  Montville,  later  at  Bolton,  and  finally  at  Glastonbury. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  church  at  Montville,  and  its  collector  in 
1779.  He  was  a  tanner  and  saddler.  She  d.  Sept.  4,  1792;  he  d. 
May  24,  1817;  both  are  buried  at  Glastonbury. 

Children  of  Abraham  and  Rebecca  (Stevens)  Avery: 

William  Stevens",  b.  1773 ;  d.  about  1830 ;  unm. 
AsHBEL  Stevens",  b.  May  8,  1775,  at  Montville. 
Nathan",  b.  Jan.  23,  1777,  at  Montville. 
Anna",  b.  June  24,  1780,  at  Montville. 
Abraham",  b.  June  22,  1782,  at  Montville. 
Rebecca",  bap.  Jan.  3,  1784,  at  Bolton,  Conn. 
Samuel",  bap.  Jan.  7,  1786,  at  Bolton. 
Dolly". 
Thomas",  d.  Feb.  14,  1819 ;  probably  unm. 


1. 

433. 

ii. 

434. 

iii. 

435. 

iv. 

436. 

V. 

437. 

vL 

438. 

vii. 

439. 

viii 

440. 

ix. 

200  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

126.  Lucy'  Avery  {Joshua*,  Thomas\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Sept.  12,  1728,  at  Norwich;  m.  Dec.  24,  1747,  at  Norwich, 
Rufus  Hartshorn,  s.  of  David  and  Abigail  (Hebard)  Hartshorn. 
He  was  b.  Sept.  17,  1728,  at  Norwich.  He  was  in  the  campaign 
of  1758  (French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:66).  She  d.  April  28, 
1780,  at  Norwich;  date  of  his  death  is  not  known. 

Children  of  Rufus  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Hartshorn,  b.  at  Nor- 
wich and  bap.  at  First  Church  of  Norwich: 

i.      Joshua",  b.  Oct.  17,  1748  ;  served  in  second  regiment,  Conn,  line,  1778 

to  1780  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  166,  211). 
ii.     Anna%  b.  Aug.  14,  1750 ;  m.  Thomas  Gary. 
iii.    Amy',  b.  July  26,  1752. 
iv.    Andrew",   b.   Jan.    14,   1755;   m.   Sarah  Abbe;   was  in  "Lexington 

Alarm"  from  Mansfield,  Conn.;    in  the  third  reg't,  Conn,  troops, 

1776  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  16,  54).     He  d.  Aug.  27,  1809, 

aged  55  years,  at  Mansfield,  Conn. 
V.     Beriah",  b.  Jan.  1, 1757;  served  in  Capt.  Mott's  company,  Conn,  troops, 

1776  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  617). 
vi.    RUFUS%  b.  Sept.  28,  1759. 
vii.  LucY%  b.  Sept.  19,  1761. 
viii.  Ezra',  b.  April  18,  1763. 

ix.   Jerusha",  b.  March  1,  1765  ;  m.  Jeremiah  Capron. 
X.     David",  b.  Nov.  14,  1767 ;  died  young. 
xi.    Deborah',  b.  March  2,  1770 ;  died  young. 

138.  Elizabeth^  Avery  {Jonathan*,  Thomas',  James*,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Jan.  7,  1725,  at  Norwich;  bap.  July  4,  1725,  First 
Church  of  Norwich;  m.  Nov.  15,  1766,  at  Norwich,  William  Arm- 
strong, s.  of  Joseph  and  Lydia  (Worth)  Armstrong.  He  was  b. 
Oct.  12,  1718,  at  Norwich.  January  1,  1783,  Jonathan  Avery  (No. 
142)  deeded  land  which  came  to  him  from  his  deceased  sister, 
Elizabeth  Armstrong  {Norwich  Deeds,  24:214).  She  probably  left 
no  children. 

139.  Hannah'  Avery  {Jonathan*,  Thomas\  James',  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Oct.  1,  1727;  bap.  in  First  Church  of  Norwich;  m. 
March  26,  1744,  Benjamin  Brooks  of  Norwich.  July  29,  1746,  Jona- 
than Avery  deeded  certain  land  to  his  daughter,  Hannah  and  her 
husband,  Benjamin  Brooks;  January  7,  1750,  Benjamin  Brooks 
deeded  back  to  Jonathan  Avery  the  land  that  he  had  given  to 
Hannah,  his  daughter,  deceased,  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Brooks; 
Jonathan  Avery  then  deeded  this   land  to  his  beloved  grand- 


The    Fifth   Generation  201 

daughter,  Eunice,  child  of  his  daughter,  Hannah  Brooks  (Nor- 
ivich  Deeds,  10:50.  420). 

A  Benjamin  Brooks  served  in  the  war  from  May  to  Dec, 
1755;  also  from  April  to  Dec,  1756;  also  in  the  campaigns  of  1759 
and  1760  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:69,  70  &  2:127,  136, 
194).  Hannah,  wife  of  Benjamin  Brooks,  d.  June  5,  1748,  at 
Norwich. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Brooks: 

i.     Eunice",  bap.  Feb.  3,  1745,  First  Church  of  Norwich. 

ii.    Phineas",  bap.  Jan.  31,  1748,  First  Church  of  Norwich. 

140.  Charles'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  Thomas\  James\  Christo- 
pher')  was  b.  March  30,  1730,  at  Norwich;  bap.  April  12,  1730, 
First  Church  of  Norwich;  m.  April  5,  1750,  at  Norwich,  Abigail 
Post,  dau.  of  Nathaniel  and  Abigail  (Burchard)  Post.  She  was  b. 
April  1,  1733,  at  Norwich.  Jonathan  Avery  deeded  land  to  his 
beloved  son,  Charles,  at  Norwich,  July  8,  1752,  and  May  15,  1760 
(Norwich  Deeds,  12:4,  &  15:195).  Charles'  Avery  d.  April  3,  1774, 
at  Norwich.  In  his  will,  made  Jan.  5  and  proved  April  20,  1774, 
he  mentioned  wife,  Abigail;  sons,  Charles,  Stephen,  Simeon, 
Samuel,  Daniel,  Elijah;  daus.,  Abigail,  Hannah,  Elizabeth,  Ruth 
(Norwich  Wills,  5:65).  His  widow  m.  David  Hawley  and  the 
family  moved  to  Brandon,  Vermont.  February  27,  1788,  Simeon 
Avery,  Hannah  Cross,  Ruth  Avery,  Daniel  Avery,  all  of  Brandon, 
Vermont,  sold  to  Abigail  Avery,  of  Brandon,  land  in  Norwich, 
Conn.,  that  was  "our  honored  Dadda  Charles  Avery's"  (Nor- 
wich Deeds,  27:97). 

Children  of  Charles  and  Abigail  (Post)  Avery,  b.  at  Norwich: 

i.  Hannah%  b.  Jan.  25,  1751 ;  d.  May  26,  1755. 

450.  ii.  J0HN%  b.  Oct.  9,  1752. 

451.  iii.  Charles%  b.  Aug.  16,  1754. 

452.  iv.  Stephen%  b.  July  17,  1756. 

453.  V.  Abigail%  b.  Dec.  7,  1758. 

454.  vi.  SlMEON%  b.  Sept.  17,  1759. 

455.  vii.  Hannah%  b.  May  26,  1761. 

viii.  Samuel%  b.  Feb.  4,  1763 ;  d.  at  Kingston,  Jamaica ;  unm. 

456.  ix.    Elizabeth",  b.  Oct.  8,  1764. 

457.  X.     Ruth",  b.  June  26,  1766. 

458.  xi.    Daniel",  b.  March  26,  1768. 

459.  xii.  Elijah",  b.  June  17,  1770. 

xiii.  Jesse",  b.  Oct.  10,  1772 ;  d.  May  25,  1773,  at  Norwich. 

141.  Elisha'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  Thomas',  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.   April  8,   1735,   at  Norwich;  bap.  April  13,  1735, 


202  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

First  Church  of  Norwich;  m.  Nov.  13,  1754,  at  Scotland,  Conn., 
Sarah  Manning,  dau.  of  John  and  Abigail  (Winship)  Manning. 
She  was  b.  Oct.  28,  1737,  at  Windham,  Conn.  August  14,  1757, 
Jonathan  Avery  deeded  to  beloved  son,  Elisha,  the  land  on  which 
Elisha  was  then  living  {Norwich  Deeds,  13:432).  The  date  of 
Elisha's  death  is  unknown.  His  widow  m.  Dec.  11,  1765,  at  Nor- 
wich, Stephen  Gifford.     She  d.  Oct.  20,  1825,  at  Norwich. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Sarah  (Manning)  Avery,  b.  at  Nor- 
wich: 

460.  i.      Sarah  Manning",  b.  Sept.  20,  1755. 

461.  ii.     Elisha",  b.  Dec.  30,  1756. 

142.  Jonathan  Avery  {Jonathan* ,  Thomas',  James',  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  June  6,  1743,  at  Norwich;  bap.  June  12,  1743,  First 
Church  of  Norwich.  According  to  Mr.  Sweet's  record  in  The 
Averys  of  Groton,  he  m.  a  Mary  Gardner,  supposed  to  be  the  dau. 
of  Oliver  Gardner,  but  we  can  find  no  other  proof  of  such  a  mar- 
riage. A  Jonathan  Avery  m.  Aug.  25,  1761,  at  Norwich,  Jerusha 
Davis.  January  1,  1783,  Jonathan  Avery,  Jr.,  called  himself  of 
"Susquehannah,  in  the  county  of  Westmoreland,  state  of  Con- 
necticut" {Norwich  Deeds,  24:214).  His  name  often  appears  on 
the  rate  bills  of  Wilkesbarre,  Penn. ,  in  1776,  1777,  where  he  seems 
to  have  had  a  large  property.  The  record  of  his  children  is  very 
incomplete. 

Children  of  Jonathan  Avery: 


462. 

1, 

Oliver". 

463. 

ii. 

Gardner*. 

464. 

iii. 

Erastus\ 

465. 

iv. 

Polly". 

466. 

V. 

Sally". 

467. 

vi. 

468. 

vii. 

469. 

viii. 

Amy". 

144.  Lucy'  Avery  {Jonathan*,  Thomas\  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  July  16,  1755,  at  Norwich;  bap,  Aug.  31,  1755, 
First  Church  of  Norwich;  m.  Oct.  15,  1780,  at  Lisbon,  Conn., 
Charles  Gilkey.  March  5,  1782,  Jonathan  Avery  deeded  land  to 
his  dau.  Lucy  and  her  husband,  Charles  Gilkey  {Norwich  Deeds, 
24:167).  He  also  mentioned  his  son-in-law,  Charles  Gilkey,  in  his 
will,  July  29,  1783.  Capt.  Charles  Gilkey  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  1776  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  174). 


The    Fifth   Generation  203 

Children  of  Charles  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Gilkey,  b.  at  Lisbon: 

i.  Jonathan",  b.  Feb.  1,  1782. 

ii.  William'  ,  b.  April  17,  1783. 

iii.  Charles',  b.  May  29,  1785. 

iv.  John",  b.  Nov.  24,  1787. 

V.  James'",  b.  Sept.  14,  1790. 

145.  David'  Avery  (Jonathan*,  Thomas\  James',  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Dec.  27,  1757,  at  Norwich;  bap.  July  30,  1758,  First 
Church  of  Norwich;  m.  Jan.  11,  1781,  at  Lisbon.  Conn.,  Sarah 
Palmer,  dau.  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Bottom)  Palmer.  May  24, 
1780,  his  father,  Jonathan  Avery,  deeded  him  land  in  Norwich; 
Feb.  27,  1778,  he  bought  of  Abigail  Avery,  widow  of  his  brother, 
Charles,  house  and  lands  in  Canterbury  (Norivich  Deeds,  24:164  & 
27:98).  David'  Avery  moved  to  East  Hamilton,  Madison  county, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  died. 

Children  of  David  and  Sarah  (Palmer)  Avery: 

Olive'. 

DAVID^ 

Betsey\ 

Guerdon%  b.  Sept.  5,  1793,  at  Lisbon,  Conn. 

LucY%  b.  Aug.  10,  1795,  at  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y. 

Frederick". 

Charles%  b.  Sept.  12,  1802,  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

Palmer%  d.  unm. 

146.  Uriah'' Avery  (Jonathan*,  Thomas\  James'' ,  Christopher^) 
wash.  Aug.  23, 1760,  at  Norwich;  bap.  Nov.  2,  1760,  First  Church  of 
Norwich;  m.  Jan.  28,  1783,  at  Lebanon,  Conn.,  Sybil  Little.  Sept. 
4,  1790,  Uriah  Avery  of  Hampton  deeded  to  David  Avery  of  Can- 
terbury, land  that  he  had  of  his  honored  father,  Jonathan  Avery. 
The  census  report  of  that  year  showed  that  his  family  consisted 
of  six  persons  besides  himself,  but  we  have  not  been  able  to  get 
any  further  information  on  this  subject.  Feb.  11,  1834,  he  was 
Kving  at  Norwich,  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  from  which  place  he 
applied  for  a  pension  which  was  allowed.  He  was  in  the  battle  of 
White  Plains;  served  on  the  ship  ''Warren"  that  cruised  to  the 
West  Indies  and  took  two  prizes  (Application  for  Pension,  No.  32, 
627,  Inv.). 

There  was  a  Uriah  Avery  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  1756, 
who  has  not  been  identified. 


470. 

1, 

471. 

ii. 

472. 

iii. 

473. 

iv. 

474. 

V. 

475. 

vi. 

476. 

vii. 

viu 

204  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

147.  Olive'  Avery  {Jonathan^,  Thomas\  James',  Christopher^) 
was  bap.  May  29,  1763,  First  Church  of  Norwich;  m.  Asahel  Adams, 
s.  of  Phineas  and  Susannah  (Woodward)  Adams.  He  was  b.  Sept. 
13,  1754,  at  Canterbury.  Asahel  Adams  of  Canterbury,  and  David 
Avery  of  Brooklyn,  executors  of  the  estate  of  Jonathan  Avery, 
late  of  Norwich,  now  Lisbon,  sold  land  belonging  to  the  estate, 
July  24,  1796  (Lisbon  Deeds,  1 :442) .  Asahel  Adams  went  on  the 
"Lexington  Alarm;"  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  May  5, 
1777,  from  Canterbury;  was  discharged  May  5,  1780  (Conn.  Men  in 
the  Rev'n,  pp.  19,  220).  He  was  Excellent  Scribe  of  the  Franklin 
Chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons,  Norwich,  Conn.,  1801.  He  moved 
to  Ohio  in  1802.  His  wife  d.  April  21,  1813,  at  Liberty,  Ohio;  he 
d.  there  May  25,  1825. 

Children  of  Asahel  and  Olive  (Avery)  Adams,  b.  at  Canter- 
bury: 

i.  Betsey',  b.  Dec.  22,  1780;  m.  Camden  Cleaveland;  d.  Aug.  15,  1867,  at 
Warren,  0. 

ii.      David  Augustus",  b.  Feb.  10,  1784;  m.  Nancy  Tylee;  d.  Oct.  3,  1855. 

iii.     Asahel",  b.  July  9,  1786;  m.  Lucy  Mygatt;  d.  Oct.  9,  1852. 

iv.     Frances  Ursula",  b.  July  9,  1789;  m.  Joseph  Coit. 

V.  Susan",  b.  Sept.  5,  1791;  m.  1st,  John  Patterson;  2d,  Warham  Gates; 
d.  Jan.  8,  1871,  at  Mesopotamia,  0. 

vi.  Mason",  b.  March  24,  1793;  a  soldier  of  1812;  d.  April  11,  1813,  at  Lib- 
erty, 0. 

vii.    Olive",  b.  April  5,  1795;  d.  April  .11,  1813,  at  Liberty,  O. 

viii.  Jay",  b.  June  30,  1797;  m.  Sarah  Simmons;  d.  Nov.  28,  1848,  at  Liber- 
ty, Ohio. 

ix.     Adaline",  b.  Feb.  24,  1799;  m.  George  Hapgood;  d.  Oct.  26,  1871. 

160.  Samuel'  Avery  (Isaac*,  Thomas\  James',   Christopher^) 

had  a  daughter,  Lydia,  who  m.  Josiah  Denison  and  lived  in  West 

Stafford,  Conn.,  we  know  nothing  more  of  him. 

Child  of  Samuel  Avery: 
486.    i.    Lydia". 

161.  Elizabeth^  Avery  (Isaac*,  Thomas\  James',  Christopher^) 
m.  Oct.  27,  1757,  Samuel  Caulkins.  On  this  date,  Joshua  Hemp- 
stead wrote  in  his  diary: 

"I  was  att  home  foren  &  towd  night  I  rid  out  with  Isaac  Avery  to  his 
House  &  Married  his  Daughter  Elizabeth  to  Samll  Caulking  the  Adopted 
son  of  Samuel  Williams." 

Samuel  Caulkins  was  probably  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Rog- 
ers) Caulkins,  bap.  March  26,  1739,  First  Church  of  New  London. 


The   Fifth   Generation  205 


He  probably  served  in  Capt.  Lattimore's  company,  in  the  French 
and  Indian  war,  1757  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2:233). 
Children  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Caulkins: 

i.      ISAAC^ 

ii.    Elizabeth*. 

162.  Daniel'  Avery  (Isaac\  Thomas',  James',  Christopher') 
was  b.  April  19,  1748;  m.  Feb.  5,  1775,  at  Tolland,  Conn.,  Thank- 
ful Benton,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Bradley)  Benton  of  Tolland. 
She  was  b.  Aug.  22,  1752,  at  Tolland.  He  was  a  farmer  and  lived 
and  died  at  West  Stafford.  She  d.  Oct.  4,  1824,  at  West  Stafford; 
he  d.  April  24,  1831. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Thankful  (Benton)  Avery,  b.  at  West 
Stafford: 

Charles%  b.  Nov.  12,  1775. 

Henry%  b.  Aug.  25,  1777. 

Charlotte%  b.  Dec.  26,  1779. 

LoviNA%  b.  Sept.  6,  1781. 

Elihu  Benton%  b.  Nov.  26,  1784. 

SoPHiA%  b.  Aug.  31,  1787;  d.  Oct.  29,  1791. 

AZUBA%  b.  Feb.  6,  1790. 

LiLLY%  b.  Nov.  22,  1793. 

163.  Abigrail' Avery  (Isaac*,  Thomas\  James',  Christopher') 
m.  Jonah  Bradley.  He  was  a  farmer  of  Tolland  and  West  Staf- 
ford. He  d.  March  19,  1825;  she  d.  Nov.  24,  1837,  both  at  West 
Stafford. 

Child  of  Jonah  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Bradley: 
i.    Sallie". 

174.  John'  Avery  (John*,  John',  James\  Christopher')  was  b. 
May  14,  1706,  at  Groton;  m.  Lydia  Smith,  dau.  of  Nehemiah  and 
Dorothy  (Wheeler)  Smith,  and  sister  of  James  Avery's  wife,  Eliz- 
abeth (No.  53).  She  was  b.  Jan.  24,  1712-13,  at  Groton.  She  in- 
herited land  from  her  father's  estate,  April  14,  1737.  John  Avery 
and  his  wife  were  in  full  communion  with  the  First  Church  of 
Groton,  Nov.  22,  1727.  He  later  moved  to  Franklin,  Conn. ,  where 
he  died.  He  made  a  will,  April  15,  1762;  it  was  proved  at  Nor- 
wich, Feb.  4,  1766.  He  mentioned  wife,  Lydia;  sons,  John,  Jabez, 
Amos,  Nathan,  Nehemiah,  David,  Roswell;  daus.,  Lydia  Gager 
and  Sarah  Avery  (Norwich  Wills,  3:326). 


491. 

1, 

492. 

ii. 

493. 

iii. 

494. 

iv. 

495. 

V. 

VI. 

496. 

vii. 

497. 

viii 

505. 

i. 
ii. 

506. 

111. 

507. 

iv. 

508. 

V. 

509. 

vi. 

510. 

vii. 

511. 

viii 

512. 

ix. 

513. 

X. 

206  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Children  of  John  and  Lydia  (Smith)  Avery: 

Amos",  d.  at  3  mo.  of  age  of  whooping  cough,  unchristened  {The 

David  Avery  ms. ) . 
JoHN%  bap.  Jan.  2,  1731,  First  Church  of  Groton. 
Jabez%  bap.  April  14,  1734,  First  Church  of  Groton. 
Amos%  bap.  April  18,  1736,  First  Church  of  Groton. 
Lydia",  bap.  July  23,  1738,  First  Church  of  Colchester. 
Nathan%  b.  Nov.  22,  1737. 

NEHEMIAH^ 

David",  b.  April  5,  1746. 
RoswELL",  b.  Dec.  17,  1748. 
Sarah". 

175.  Sarah'  Avery  {John\  John'',  James',  Christopher^ )  was  b. 
Oct.  10,  1713,  at  Groton;  m.  1st,  Jan.  10,  1734,  Beebe  Denison,  s.  of 
Daniel  and  Mary  (Stanton)  Denison.  He  was  b.  Jan.  27,  1708-9, 
and  d.  March  24,  1745,  at  Stonington.  She  m.  2d,  Oct.  18,  1752, 
Benadam  Denison,  s.  of  William  and  Mercy  (Gallop)  Denison.  He 
was  b.  Feb.  6,  1721;  d.  before  Oct.,  1762,  at  which  time,  in  her 
father's  will,  Sarah  is  called  his  widow. 

Children  of  Beebe  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Denison,  b.  at  Stoning- 
ton: 

i.     Mary',  b.  Jan.  24,  1735;  m.  William  Hilliard. 
ii.    Daniel",  b.  Feb.  9,  1737;  died  young, 
iii.  Sarah",  b.  Sept.  11,  1739;  m.  William  Latham. 

iv.  Daniel",  b.  Nov.  9,  1742;  m.  Dorothy  Denison;  d.  Jan.  17,  1808,  at  Ston- 
ington. 

176.  Abigail  Avery  {John\  John\  James',  Christopher^)  was 
b.  Dec.  25,  1715,  at  Groton  ;  m.  John  Denison,  s.  of  Daniel  and 
Mary  (Stanton)  Denison.  He  was  b.  Oct.  21,  1716,  at  Stonington; 
d.  March  18,  1808,  aged  92  {David  Avery  ms.).  The  date  of  her 
death  is  not  known. 

Children  of  John  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Denison,  b.  at  Stoning- 
ton: 

i.       Abigail",  m.  Zebulon  Elliot. 
ii.       Desire",  d.  Dec.  2,  1824,  aged  82;  unm. 
iii.     Avery". 

iv.     Anna",  m.  Nehemiah  Avery  (No.  510). 
V.       Lucy",  d.  May  1,  1812,  aged  64;  unm. 
vi.      Mary",  m.  Stephen  Avery  (No.  304). 

vii.    Sarah",  b.  May  2,  1752;  m.  John  Baldwin;  d.  June  19,  1813,  at  Ston- 
ington. 


The   Fifth    Generation  207 

viii.  Nathan",  m.  Elizabeth  Conklin. 
ix.     Julia",  m.  Pierre  LaRoche. 

X.      Andrew%  b.  Dec.  3,  1761;  m.  Sally  Williams;  d.  March  25,   1813,  at 
Burlington,  Vermont. 

178.  William'  Avery  {John*,  John',  James',  Christopher^)  was 
b.  April  1,  1726,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec.  4,  1746,  at  Stonington,  Phebe 
Denison,  dau.  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Stanton)  Denison.  She  was 
b.  April  24,  1723,  at  Stonington.  He  d.  Oct.  26,  1805,  at  Groton 
{David  Avery  7ns.).    She  d.  July  11, 1807,  at  Groton.    No  children. 

180.  George'  Avery  {John\  John\  James-,  Christopher^)  was 
bap.  March  20,  1737,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  March  29,  1758, 
at  Groton,  Eunice  Avery,  dau.  of  Christopher  and  Eunice  (Pren- 
tice) Avery  (No.  331).  She  was  b.  Dec.  19,  1739,  at  Groton.  John 
Avery  deeded  land  to  his  dutiful  son,  George  Avery,  Sept.  19,  1758 
{Groton  Deeds,  4:217).  George '  Avery  held  an  interest  in  the  Wy- 
oming company,  Dec.  6,  1754.  He  was  in  Abel  Spicer's  company, 
1775;  in  Isaac  Gallop's  company,  1776;  in  the  first  regiment  of  Conn, 
line,  1777,  and  served  three  years  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp. 
77,  100,  148).  He  d.  Feb.  16,  1785,  at  Groton;  his  widow  d.  Dec. 
28,  1807,  at  Groton;  buried  in  the  Avery-Morgan  burying-ground. 

Children  of  George  and  Eunice  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

George",  b.  April  24,  1759. 

Christopher",  b.  Sept.  6,  1760;  killed  at  Fort  Griswold;  unm. 
William",  b.  Jan.  26,  1764. 
Eunice",  b.  Sept.  25,  1767. 
Abel",  b.  April  2,  1769. 
Phebe",  b.  Dec.  25,  1771. 
John",  b.  Oct.  22.  1774. 
viii.  Cyrus",  b.  March  23,  1778. 
Sarah",  b.  Nov.  14,  1781. 

181.  Nathaniel'  Avery  {Nathaniel',  John\  James',  Christo- 
pher^) m.  Mary  Wickwire,  dau.  of  Christopher  and  Elizabeth 
(Swaddle)  Wickwire.  She  was  bap.  Sept.  21,  1724,  First  Church 
of  Montville.  Christopher  Wickwire  of  Groton,  in  a  will  made  Feb. 
10,  1746,  mentioned  his  daughter,  Mary,  wife  of  Nathaniel  Avery 
of  Lyme.  Nathaniel  Avery  owned  much  land  in  Lyme,  on  Walnut 
Hill,  as  many  deeds  show.  He  d.  before  Dec.  27,  1756,  at  which 
time  Nathaniel '  Avery  gave  bonds  for  the  administration  of  his 
estate  {Neiv  London  Wills,  G:87).     His  widow  m.  a  man  by  the 


614. 

1. 

ii. 

515. 

iii. 

516. 

iv. 

517. 

V. 

518. 

vi. 

519. 

vii. 

520. 

viii 

521. 

ix. 

208  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

name  of  Stocker.  Sanford  Avery  sold  to  Jesse  Beckwith,  Sept.  9, 
1775,  land  that  had  been  set  out  to  his  honored  mother,  Mary 
Stocker,  as  her  third  of  the  estate  of  his  honored  father,  Nathan- 
iel Avery;  Elisha  Avery  and  Nathan  Avery  deeded  land  in  the 
same  way  to  the  same  person  {Lyme  Deeds,  13:279,  340).  The 
names  of  the  children  have  been  determined  by  the  settlement  of 
the  estate. 

Children  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  (Wickwire)  Avery: 

522.  i.     Elisha\ 

523.  ii.    Sanford\ 

524.  iii.  Nathan\ 

525.  iv.  ANN^ 

526.  V.    Margery',  b.  Jan.  11,  1757. 

182.  William'' Avery  (Nathaniel'^,  John\  James',  Christopher'^) 
m.  Mary .  In  his  will,  made  July  16,  1761,  he  called  him- 
self of  Lyme;  mentioned  wife,  Mary;  sons,  John,  William,  Daniel, 
Silvanus;  daus.,  Betsey,  Temperance,  Anne.  His  widow  m.  2d,  a 
Dailey  {Lyme  Deeds,  16:423-5). 

Children  of  John  and  Mary  Avery: 


527. 

!• 

John'. 

528. 

ii. 

William*. 

529. 

iii. 

Daniel\ 

530. 

iv. 

Silvanus*. 

531. 

V. 

Betsey". 

532. 

vi. 

Temperance 

533. 

vii. 

Anne*. 

185.  Andrew- Avery  {Nathaniel*,  John\  James',  Christopher^) 

was  bap.  April  16,  1732,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  Martha . 

He  served  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  1755,  and  1758  {French 
and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:41  &  2:61).  A  powder-horn,  marked 
"Andrew  Avery,  his  horn.  Lake  Georg,  1758,"  was  in  the  posses- 
sion of  his  grandson,  Josiah  Avery,  a  hundred  years  later.  His 
will,  made  Sept.  19,  1774,  was  proved  at  New  London,  Nov.  8, 
1774  {Neiv  London  Wills,  1:374).  In  it  he  mentioned  wife,  Martha, 
and  the  children  named  below.  After  his  death,  the  family  moved 
to  Corinth,  Vermont. 

Children  of  Andrew  and  Martha  Avery: 

543.  i.     Amos". 

544.  ii.    Nathaniel",  b.  May,  1764,  at  Lyme. 

545.  iii.  Abigail". 


The    Fifth    Generation  209 

546.  iv.     Andrew". 

547.  V.     Christopher",  b.  Oct.  15,  1773. 

186.  Amos'  Avery  {NatlimiicV,  J ohn-^,  James'-,  Christopher^) 
m.  Phebe  Crocker,  dau.  of  John  and  Jerusha  (Larrabee)  Crocker. 
She  was  b.  Feb.  16,  1741-2,  at  Montville.  Amos  Avery  of  Lyme, 
and  wife,  Phebe,  deeded  to  "our  honored  mother,"  Jerusha 
Johnson.  April  15,  1765,  land  that  came  to  them  from  their 
"honored  father,"  John  Crocker  (Neiv  London  Deeds).  Amos" 
Avery  made  a  will  May  25,  1789,  that  was  witnessed  by  Sylvanus 
Avery,  and  proved  Sept.  13,  1790  (New  London  Court  Journal, 
7:131).  He  mentioned  wife,  Phebe,  and  children  named  in  the 
order  given  below. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Phebe  (Crocker)  Avery: 


548. 

Moses". 

549. 

ii. 

John". 

550. 

iii. 

Amos",  b.  Feb.  18,  1781,  at  Lyme,  Conn 

551. 

iv. 

Amy'. 

552. 

V. 

Phebe''. 

553. 

vi. 

Jerusha". 

554. 

vii. 

Desire". 

555. 

viii. 

Lydia". 

187.  Desire'^  Avery  (Nathaniel*,  John'\  James'-,  Christopher'^) 
m.  John  Whitney  (see  her  father's  will). 

188.  Ann^  Avery  (Nathaniel*,  John^,  James-,  Christopher^) 
m.  Jan.,  1759,  at  Lyme,  Thomas  Merrill  (Lyme  Records,  1:101). 
She  d.  Feb.  27,  1760,  at  Lyme. 

Child  of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Avery)  Merrill,  b.  at  Lyme: 

i.     Amos",  b.  Feb.  18,  1760. 

191.  Jerusha^  Avery  (Joseph*.  Johw%  James",  Christopher^) 
m.  March  8,  1731,  at  Stonington,  Ezekiel  Harrington,  s.  of  Peter 
and  Abiah  Yarrington.  He  was  bap.  March  25,  1704-5,  at  Bev- 
erly, Mass.  Ezekiel  Yarrington,  with  his  mother,  Abiah,  admin- 
istered the  estate  of  Peter  Yarrington,  Dec.  15,  1725.  He  was  in 
Capt.  Robert  Denison's  company  in  the  campaign  of  1755 ;  was  in 
Johnson's  fight  of  Sept.  8  (French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:10). 
He  made  a  will  July  2,  1759 ;  proved  Dec.  3,  1759.  He  mentioned 
wife,  Jerusha ;  sons,  Amos  and  Joseph ;  grandson,  Ezekiel,  s.  of 


210  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

son,  Ezekiel,  deceased;  dau.,  Desire,  wife  of  Benjamin  Thatcher. 
Lebanon ;  dans.,  Laiirej^  Jerusha,  Deborah,  and  Phebe. 

Children  of  Ezekiel  and  Jerusha  (Avery)  Yarrington,  b.  at 
Stonington : 

Desire'',  b.  April  6,  1732;  m.  Benjamin  Thatcher  of  Lebanon, 
i.      Ezekiel',  b.  Oct.  20,  1733;  d.  before  1759. 
ii.     Laurey",  b.  Aug.  7,  1735. 

V.     Jerusha'',  b.  Dec.  10,  1737;  m.  Daniel  Peck  of  Lyme. 
V.      Amos",  b.  Oct.  27,  1740. 
vi.     Joseph",  b.  March  10,  1743;  m.  Lucy  Leffingwell,  dau.  of  Jonathan 

and  Lucy   (Avery)   Leffingwell   (No.  86,  iv)  ;  2d,  Anna    (Witter) 

Park,  widow  of  Jonathan  Park, 
vii.    Deborah'',  b.  May  10,  1746. 
viii.  Phebe",  b.  April  8,  1748. 

192.  Richardson'^  Avery  {Williani\  JoJm',  James",  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Jan.  25,  1718,  at  Stonington;  bap.  May  25,  1718, 
First  Church  of  Stonington  ;  m.  Nov.  3, 1740,  at  Stonington,  Sarah 
Plumb,  dau.  of  Samuel  Plumb.  About  1770,  he  removed  to  the 
Wyoming  Valley  of  Pennsylvania.  In  the  battle  that  preceded 
the  massacre  of  July  3,  1778,  he,  with  many  others,  sought  refuge 
in  Forty  Fort,  where  they  were  imprisoned  several  days.  After 
their  escape,  they  walked  to  Connecticut,  nearly  two  hundred 
miles.  His  name  appears  on  the  rate-bills  of  Wilkesbarre,  Penn., 
in  1776,  1777.  His  will  was  dated  Feb.  11,  1784 ;  probated  Feb.  3, 
1786,  at  Stonington  {Sto7iington  Wills,  5:26).  He  mentioned 
wife,  Sarah ;  sons,  Samuel,  Richardson,  Christopher ;  daus.,  Anna 
Gore,  Catherine  Brown,  Elizabeth  Gore. 

Children  of  Richardson  and  Sarah  (Plumb)  Avery,  born  at 
Stonington : 

Samuel'',  b.  Feb.  11,  1741. 

Richardson",  b.  Oct.  6,  1742. 

Anna",  b.  Dec.  18,  1744. 

SARAH^  b.  Aug.  19,  1747. 

Prudence",  b.  May  13,  1751. 

Catherine",  b.  Feb.  12,  1754. 

Elizabeth",  b.  July  31,  1756. 
viii.  Christopher",  b.  Nov.  6,  1758;  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,  under  Capt.  Williams,  Col.  Webb's  reg't,  from  1781  to 
close  of  war;  drew  a  pension;  went  to  Sheshequin,  Penn., 
where  he  d.  May  3,  1830 ;  unm. 


560. 

1. 

561. 

ii. 

562. 

iii. 

563. 

iv. 

564. 

V. 

565. 

vi. 

566. 

vii 

The    Fifth   Generation  211 

193.  William'^  Avery  {William\  Jo1m'^,  James'-,  Christopher^) 
was  bap.  April  5,  1724,  First  Church  of  Stonington ;  m.  Dec.  13, 
1750,  at  Stonington,  Abigail  (Avery)  Williams  (No.  204),  dau. 
of  EHsha  and  Elizabeth  (Babcock)  Avery,  and  the  widow  of 
Henry  Williams.    She  was  b.  July  26,  1720,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  William  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Avery,  b,  at  Ston- 
ington : 

568.  i.  William*'  (David  Avery  ms.) . 

569.  ii.  Mary',  b.  May  25,  1753. 

570.  iii.  Abigail",  b.  Aug.  17,  1755. 

571.  iv.  Elias"  {David  Avery  ms.) . 

194.  Anne'^  Avery  (William*,  John^,  James",  Christopher') 
was  b.  April  5,  1721,  at  Stonington;  bap.  April  5,  1724,  First 
Church  of  Stonington;  m.  March  6,  1740,  at  Stonington,  Oliver 
Babcock,  s.  of  James  and  Sarah  (Vose)  Babcock.  He  was  b. 
July  27,  1720,  at  Stonington ;  was  a  farmer ;  was  in  the  campaign 
of  1759  {Frc7ich  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  2 :167,  173) .  He  d.  Sept. 
25,  1771,  at  Stonington ;  she  d.  Feb.  7,  1803,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  Oliver  and  Anne  (Avery)   Babcock,  b.  at  Ston- 
ington : 

i.  Oliver",  b.  Jan.  22,  1741;  m.  Mercy  Keeney;  was  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Revolution  (Conn.  Meyi  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  73,  99,  122)  ;  d.  Jan.  25, 
1777,  at  Stonington. 

ii.  Joshua",  b.  June  25,  1743;  m.  Elizabeth  Palmer;  d.  Oct.  1,  1810,  at 
Stonington. 

iii.  Nana',  b.  July  15,  1745;  m.  Sanford  Langworthy;  2d,  Anthony 
Rhodes;  d.  Oct.  12,  1839. 

iv.  William",  b.  March  19,  1747;  m.  Lucretia  Davis;  d.  Sept.  21,  1829, 
at  Chatham,  N.  Y. 

V.      RuFUS",  b.  Sept.  10,  1748;  died  young. 

vi.     Gershom",  b.  Nov.  9,  1752;  m.  Chloe  Davis. 

vii.  Altana",  b.  Jan.  14,  1755;  m.  John  Langworthy;  d.  April  7,  1840, 
at  Stonington. 

viii.  Christopher",  b.  Jan.  26,  1757;  m.  Polly  Benedict;  was  a  surgeon 
in  the  Revolution  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  143);  d.  in  the 
army,  Nov.  2,  1780. 

ix.     Elizabeth",  b.  Jan.  15,  1759;  m.  John  Foote;  d.  April  10,  1832. 

X.  Daniel",  b.  Aug.  5,  1762;  m.  Content  Potter;  lived  at  Hopkinton, 
R.  I.;  justice  of  the  peace,  46  years;  representative;  state  sena- 
tor, 9  years;  judge  of  county  court,  8  years;  deacon  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  50  years;  d.  Sept.  18,  1846. 


1. 

572. 

ii. 

573. 

iii 

574. 

iv 

575. 

V. 

576. 

vi 

212  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

195.  John'  Avery  (William*,  John^,  James-,  Christopher^) 
was  b.  April  29,  1727,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Feb.  9,  1757,  at  Stoning- 
ton,Anna  Miner,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Miner. 
She  was  b.  June  26,  1735,  at  Stonington.  John"'  Avery  was  in 
Robert  Denison's  company,  at  Crown  Point,  1775;  was  in  John- 
son's fight,  Sept.  8,  1755,  where  his  brother  Christopher  was 
killed ;  was  serg't  in  the  campaign  of  1756,  in  Ebenezer  Billings's 
company  (French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1 :10,  107) .  He  d.  Sept. 
11,  1815,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  John  and  Anna  (Miner)  Avery, b.  at  Stonington  : 
Anna",  b.  Nov.,  1757;  d.  Feb.  10,  1759. 

Anna",  b.  Nov.  9,  1760;  m.  Sparks  (?). 

John',  b.  .July  2,  1762. 
Robert',  b.  March  5,  1765. 
Daniel',  b.  April  23,  1767. 
Betsey',  b.  Oct.  31,  1769. 

196.  Amos''  Avery  (William*,  John^,  James-,  Christopher^) 
was  b.  Jan.  30,  1732-3,  at  Stonington ;  bap.  Sept.  23,  1733,  Second 
Church  of  Stonington;  m.  Patience  Sparhawk(Z)ai"/f/Ave7'i/  ms.), 
dau.  of  Simeon  and  Borodel  (Stanton)  Sparhawk.  He  served  in 
Col.  Christopher  Avery's  (No.  47)  reg't,  for  the  relief  of  Fort 
William  Henry,  1757  (French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1 :232) .  He 
d.  before  Nov.  2,  1768. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Patience  (Sparhawk)  Avery: 

577.  i.       Borodel',  bap.  Aug.  1,  1762,  First  Church  of  Stonington. 

578.  ii.      Amos'  (David  Avery  ms.) . 

197.  Elias^  Avery  (William*,  John^,  James",  Christopher'^) 
was  b.  July  5,  1736,  at  Stonington;  m.  Mary  Miner  (David 
Avery  ms.) .  "He  was  an  ensign  under  Major  Rogers  and  was 
killed  near  Misiski  Bay,  up  near  Colerain"  (David  Avery  ms.) . 
Major  Robert  Rogers  spoke  of  Ensign  Avery  in  a  letter  dated 
Nov,  5,  1759.  Ensign  Avery  was  with  him  when  he  reconnoitered 
the  Indian  town  of  St.  Francis,  and  at  Cohase  Intervales.  They 
expected  to  find  provisions  at  Misisquey  Bay.  Elias  Avery  is 
spoken  of  as  being  "of  Fitches"  (Rogers's  Journal,  F.  B.  Hough, 
editor,  p.  141). 

New  York  regiment.  Eliezer  Fitch,  major.  Three  companies  were  allowed 
by  the  Conn,  general  assembly  to  be  enlisted  in  Conn.,  "on  the  pay  and 
encouragement"  of  New  York,  to  be  commanded  by  their  own  com- 


The    Fifth    Generation  213 

pany  officers  and  in  a  regiment  having  a  Conn,  major.  Elias  Avery 
was  in  Capt.  John  Shxpp's  company,  May,  1755.  They  were  sent  to 
the  northward  of  Albany  to  remove  encroachments  on  his  Majestie's 
lands.  In  Col.  Phineas  Lyman's  regiment,  raised  in  1757,  and  sent  to 
the  northward  of  Albany,  was  Sei'g't  Elias  Avery.  In  Col.  Eliezer 
Fitch's  reg't,  in  the  campaigns  of  1758  and  1759,  was  Ensign  Elias 
Avery  (Frotcli  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:190  &  2:71,  166.  See  also 
Pavkman's Mont calni  and  Wolfe, 2:255;  Avery's  History  of  the  United 
States  and  Its  People,  4: chap.  13;  and Benadam Gallop, No. 80, supra.) 

198.  Abigail^  Avery  (Williavi*,  John'\  James'-,  Christopher'^) 
was  b.  April  25,  1746,  at  Stonington;  m.  March  23,  1766,  at  Ston- 
ington,  Elijah  Jones,  s.  of  Elijah  and  Mary  (Main)  Jones.  He 
was  b.  March  2,  1737,  at  Stonington.  Elizabeth  Sinkler,  Stoning- 
ton, made  a  will  Feb.  1,  1774,  that  had  the  following: 

"I  give  and  bequeath  to  Abigail  Jones,  youngest  daughter  of  Mrs.  Elijah 
Jones,  and  granddaughter  of  the  widow  Sarah  Avery  of  Stonington, 
second  society,  my  blue  persian  gown  to  be  to  her  for  her  own." 
(Stonington  Wills,  2:123). 

Elijah  Jones  served  as  private  in  the  campaign  of  1756, under 
Capt.  Ebenezer  Billings  {Frcyich  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:107). 
Abigail  Avery  Jones  died  before  1774,  as  Elijah  Jones  married  a 
second  wife,  Deborah  York,  that  year  (Stonington  Records). 

Children  of  Elijah  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Jones,  b.  at  Ston- 
ington : 

i.       Prudence",  b.  March  18,  1767. 
ii.      Abigail",  b.  Feb.  28,  1770. 

200.  'Nathaniel'^  Avery  ( William*,  John",  James-,  Christopher^ ) 
was  b.  Aug.  28,  1751,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Oct.  14,  1781,  Desire 
Clark.  She  d.  Dec.  24,  1782,  at  Leyden,  Mass.,  without  children. 
He  m.  2d,  Oct.  12,  1783,  at  Leyden,  Anna  Littlefield.  She  was 
the  mother  of  all  his  children ;  she  d.  July  26,  1815,  at  Leyden. 
He  m.  3d,  Feb.  29,  1816,  at  Leyden,  Amy  Denison,  dau.  of  David 
and  Keziah  (Smith)  Denison.  Nathaniel^  Avery  was  corporal  in 
the  third  company  from  Stonington,  Samuel  H.  Parson's  reg't, 
1775;  was  a  pensioner  living  in  Leyden,  Mass.,  1818  {Co7in.  Men 
in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  74,  640).  He  d.  Aug.  30,  1839,  at  Leyden;  his 
widow  d.  March  24,  1858,  at  Leyden. 

Children  of  Nathaniel  and  Anna  (Littlefield)  Avery,  b.  at 
Leyden,  Mass. : 


M'Z. 

1. 

ii. 

583. 

iii. 

584. 

iv. 

585. 

V. 

vi. 

vii 

214  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

James",  b.  July  6,  1784. 

Josiah',  b.  March  10,  1786;  d.  May  1,  1869,  at  Leyden;  unm. 

Desire",  b.  March  5,  1788. 

Daniel",  b.  Nov.  16,  1790. 

Sarah",  b.  May  6,  1794. 

Nathaniel",  b.  Jan.  18,  1797;  d.  Nov. 3, 1871, at  Leyden;  unm. 

Nancy",  b.  June  6,  1800;  d.  Jan.  22,  1808,  at  Leyden. 

201.  Abraham'^  Avery  {William\  John--,  James'-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  May  20,  1754,  at  Stonington;  m.  about  1780,  at 
Guilford,  Vermont,  Mercy  Packer,  dau.  of  Ichabod  and  Esther 
(Burrows)  Packer.  She  was  bap.  July  5,  1761,  First  Church  of 
Groton. 

Abraham'  Avery  was  a  blacksmith  and  armorer,  July  1, 
1775,  he  enlisted  at  Stonington,  as  a  corporal  in  the  company  com- 
manded by  Nathan  Hale,  Washington's  martyr  spy,  a  part  of  the 
seventh  Connecticut  regiment,  Col.  Charles  Webb.  After  a  few 
weeks'  service  on  the  Sound,  they  marched  to  Boston,  where  they 
were  assigned  to  General  Sullivan's  brigade  on  Winter  Hill.  He 
was  discharged  Dec.  18,  at  Cambridge.  January  1,  1776,  he  en- 
listed at  Stonington  in  the  Continental  line,  Capt.  James  Eldridge, 
Col.  S.  H.  Parson's  regiment.  When  he  reached  Boston,  he  was 
transferred  to  a  company  of  artificers  under  Capt.  Bacon.  After 
the  British  evacuated  Boston,  the  artificers  went  to  New  London 
and  took  shipping  to  New  York.  Here  the  armorers  were  reor- 
ganized under  Capt.  John  Hilliard.  Soon  after  the  lieutenants  of 
this  company  were  sent  to  the  Northern  army  and,  thereafter, 
Abraham  Avery,  being  orderly  sergeant,  acted  as  lieutenant.  They 
were  at  King's  Yards  until  the  Americans  left  Long  Island,  when 
they  went  to  White  Plains  and  afterwards  to  Peekskill,  where 
Abraham  Avery  was  discharged  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  service. 
He  returned  to  Stonington  and,  December,  1778,  went  to  Boston 
and  enlisted  as  gunsmith  on  the  brig  "Eagle,"  a  privateer  under 
Capt.  Elijah  Luce,  commissioned  by  Massachusetts.  The  brig 
sailed  to  Surinam,  thence  to  the  West  Indies,  where.  May  1,  1779, 
they  captured  a  British  sloop.  The  same  day  they  were,  after  a 
fight  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  captured  by  the  tender  of  a  British 
50-gun  ship,  commanded  by  Admiral  Young.  They  were  taken 
to  Antigua,  where  Abraham  Avery  and  ten  of  his  companions 
were  transferred  to  the  "Renown,"  another  British  war-ship  of 


The    Fifth    Generation  215 

fifty  guns,  and  obliged  to  aid  in  working  the  vessel.  They  con- 
voyed a  sugar  fleet  to  the  British  Channel  and  then  sailed  to  New 
York,  where  Abraham  Avery  and  his  companions  petitioned  to  be 
placed  on  the  prison  ship,  preferring  confinement  to  forced  ser- 
vice against  their  country.  After  much  sufi'ering  in  the  fever- 
stricken  hulk  as  it  floated  at  its  moorings  in  the  North  River  (the 
Hudson),  they  were  finally  paroled.  Abraham  Avery  reached 
home  in  a  starving  state  and  without  hat  or  shoes  or  clothing 
suflJicient  to  cover  his  nakedness.  He  soon  moved  to  Guilford, 
Vermont. 

During  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  territory  now  known  as 
Vermont  was  claimed  by  the  state  of  New  York.  In  1777,  many 
of  the  settlers  in  that  region  were  in  favor  of  organizing  a  new 
state.  A  convention  adopted  a  declaration  of  the  rights  and  inde- 
pendence of  what  had  been  called  the  New  Hampshire  Grants, 
and  proclaimed  the  commonwealth  of  "New  Connecticut,  alias 
Vermont."  Congress  was  petitioned  that  New  Connecticut  might 
be  ranked  "among  the  free  and  independent  American  States 
and  delegates  therefrom  admitted  to  seats  in  the  grand  Conti- 
nental Congress."  New  York  took  measures  to  bring  the  disaf- 
fected back  to  their  allegiance  and  to  secure  congressional  inter- 
ference in  her  behalf.  Meantime,  there  were  many  in  the 
"Grants"  who  were  favorable  to  the  government  of  New  York. 
"In  Brattleborough  they  were  more  numerous  than  the  Vermont 
adherents,  and  were  not  afraid  to  act  as  their  convictions  dic- 
tated." Thus  sprang  up  two  factions,  the  "Vermonters"  and 
the  "Yorkers."  By  1783,  there  was,  especially  in  Windham 
County,  a  condition  of  mutual  terror  and  distrust. 

"Houses  were  divided — the  father  upholding  the  jurisdiction  of  New 
York,  the  sons  maintaining  the  supremacy  of  Vermont.  Friendships 
the  most  intimate  were  disturbed.  The  word  neighbor  carried  no 
meaning  with  it  beyond  the  idea  of  contiguity.  The  physician  could 
not  visit  his  patient  in  safety  unless  protected  with  a  pass.  The  min- 
ister of  the  gospel  failed  to  enforce  the  doctrine  of  Christian  charity 
on  the  hearts  of  men  who  knew  none  for  one  another." 

In  Guilford,  the  Yorkers  held  the  power  and  prevented  the 
Vermonters  from  executing  their  laws  and  collecting  taxes. 
The  new  government  took  active  measures  that  tended  only  to 
unite  the  opposition  in  their  determination  to  withstandthe execu- 
tion of  laws  originating  in  an  authority  that  they  did  not  acknowl- 


216  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 


edge,  and  to  follow  such  a  course  as  seemed  to  them  best  fitted 
"to  promote  the  interests  of  New  York  and  of  the  United  States." 

In  Hall's  History  of  Eastern  Vermont  (page  505),  is  told  the 
story  of  the  capture  of  a  staunch  Vermonter  by  the  name  of  Ben- 
jamin Carpenter,  He  was  carried  away  by  the  Yorkers,  "to  his 
great  damage,"  but  lived  many  years  thereafter  and  left  a  quaint 
epitaph  to  declare  to  the  coming  generation  that  his  "Stature 
was  about  six  feet.  Weight  200.  Death  had  no  terror."  The 
most  prominent  actors  in  this  seizure  were  Abraham  Avery,  Cyril 
Carpenter,  Nathaniel  Carpenter  [and  others],  all  of  Guilford. 
The  seizure  was  made  Dec.  1,  1783.  In  the  following  February, 
twenty-five  of  the  Yorkers  were  arraigned  at  the  bar  of  the 
sup*erior  court.  Abraham  Avery  was  among  the  number.  He 
pleaded  not  guilty  and  the  case  against  him  seems  to  have  been 
dismissed  upon  payment  of  the  costs. 

There  were  many  indictments  on  account  of  the  current  hos- 
tilities, and  many  of  the  Yorkers  in  the  southern  part  of  Wind- 
ham County  endured  countless  inconveniences  and  losses.  In 
1786,  the  New  York  legislature  took  action  on  the  subject  of  the 
sufferings  of  their  friends  who,  led  partly  by  the  resolutions  of 
congress,  and  especially  those  of  December  5,  1782,  and  "by 
their  attachment,  zeal  and  activity  in  endeavoring  to  support  the 
just  and  lawful  authority  of  New  York,"  had  brought  upon  them- 
selves confiscations  and  imprisonments,  and  had  suffered  "such 
exquisite  tortures."  It  was  shown  that  their  losses  amounted 
to  £16,663,  13s.,  8d.,  and  it  was  deemed  proper  for  the  state 
to  grant  them  "a  quantity  of  vacant  land  equivalent  to  a  town- 
ship of  eight  miles  square."  The  land  was  divided  into  one 
hundred  lots  of  640  acres  each.  Lot  No.  50  was  appropriated 
to  the  use  of  "Gospel  and  Schools,"  and  lot  No.  51  "For  pro- 
moting Literature."  Lot  No.  87  was  given  to  Abraham  Avery 
and  William  Gault,  the  former  receiving  430  acres.  The  grant 
was  dated  July  11,  1786.  At  the  same  time,  214  acres  in  lot  No. 
62  was  granted  to  Ichabod  Packer,  and  132  acres  in  lot  No.  42  to 
Nathan  Avery. 

April  29,1783,  Abraham"' Avery  was  elected  one  of  the  assess- 
ors of  Guilford.  In  1784,  he  sold  his  house  and  blacksmith  shop 
in  Guilford  to  Nathaniel  Avery  and  moved  to  Colerain,  Massachu- 
setts. May  11,  1798,  a  committee  reported  on  the  building  of  a 
bridge  in  Colerain,  over  the  North  River  "just  below  Abraham 


The  Fifth  Generation  217 

Avery's."  The  man  who  built  the  bridge  was  to  have  the  worth 
of  £15,  lawful  money ;  one  barrel  of  new  rum  by  June  15,  "bought 
as  cheap  as  they  can  at  Greenfield,"  and  the  rest  in  grain  or  suit- 
able neat  stock. 

About  1800,  Abraham  Avery  settled  on  the  land  given  him  by 
the  state  of  New  York,  two  and  a  half  miles  from  Preston,  Che- 
nango County,  on  the  Norwich  road.  Here  he  lived  for  many 
3'ears,  an  influential  and  well-to-do  farmer.  He  was  ensign  of  the 
company  of  light  infantry,  Jeremiah  Butts,  captain,  1804. 

October  16,  1818,  he  was  placed  on  the  pension  roll  for  mili- 
tary service,  but  was  dropped  May  1,  1820,  under  the  act  that 
debarred  those  having  more  than  three  hundred  dollars  worth  of 
property.  He  was  reinstated  under  the  act  of  June  1,  1832. 
The  accompanying  facsimile  of  his  autograph  is  copied  from  his 

application  for  a 

Jl y       J  ^^  pension,   now   on 

^^^m^tZ^^ZM^     LMH^HJ^^     fil^    ^"    the    "Old 

War    and     Navy 

Ofl^ce"  of  the 
Pension  Bureau 
at  Washington.  He  moved  to  Earlville,  Madison  County,  about 
1840,  and  died  there  in  February,  1843,  about  six  months  after 
the  death  of  his  wife. 

He  was  a  tall  man,  with  a  large  frame,  grey  eyes,  and  hair 
that  he  wore  pompadour  and  that  was  thick  even  in  his  old  age. 
He  was  well  informed,  a  great  student  of  the  Bible,  and  a  devoted 
Baptist.    His  descendants  honor  and  revere  him. 

Children  of  Abraham  and  Mercy  (Packer)  Avery: 
Elias  Packer',  b.  Aug.  16,  1781,  at  Guilford,  Vt. 
Hubbard  Burrows",  b.  Dec.  29,  1784,  at  Colerain,  Mass. 
Amos  Walker",  b.  May  24,  1787,  at  Colerain. 
Ichabod  Denison",  m.  late  in  life;  wife  unknown;  no  children. 
Abigail',  died  unm. 
Esther". 

Elisha^  Avery  {ElisJia\  John\  James'-,  Christopher^) 
was  b.  March  30,  1717,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Jan.  20,  1742,  at  Ston- 
ington,  Rebecca  Miner,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Brown) 
Miner,  and  sister  of  Anna  Miner  who  m.  John  Avery  (No.  195). 
She  was  b.  Aug.  18,  1720,  at  Stonington.  The  family  is  supposed 
to  have  moved  to  New  York  state. 


586. 

1. 

587. 

ii. 

588. 

iii 

589. 

iv. 

V. 

590. 

vi, 

203. 

I 

ington : 

596. 

1, 

597. 

ii. 

598. 

iii. 

599. 

iv. 

218  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Rebecca  (Miner)  Avery,  b.  at  Ston- 

Elisha'',  b.  Jan.  7,  1743. 
Joseph'',  b.  April  13,  1747. 
Rebecca',  b.  Sept.  20,  1752. 
Samuel",  b.  March  20,  1755. 

204.  Abigail^  Avery  (Elisha\  John-\  James'-,  Christopher^) 
was  b.  July  26,  1720,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Nov.  3,  1738,  at  Stoning- 
ton,  Henry  Williams.  He  d.  before  Dec.  13,  1750,  at  which  time 
she  m.  William  Avery  (No.  193). 

Children  of  Henry  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Williams,  b.  at  Ston- 
ington : 

i.       Desire",  b.  Feb.  9,  1740. 

ii.      Avery",  b.  July  19,  1741. 

iii.     Elizabeth",  b.  Nov.  10,  1743. 

iv.  Henry",  b.  Nov.  21,  1745.  This  may  be  the  Henry  Williams  who 
was  preaching  in  Guilford,  Vermont,  1779.  He  was  a  violent 
Yorker  and  left  Guilford.  He  later  preached  in  Leverett,  Mass. 
His  son,  Avery,  b.  in  Guilford,  was  of  Dartmouth  College,  1804. 

206.  Joseph^  Avery  {Daniel*,  John',  James'-,  Christopher'^) 
m.  Mary  Honeywell,  dau.  of  Gilbert  and  Mary  Honeywell.  The 
line  is  given  as  recorded  here  for  the  following  reasons : 

(1)  Daniel  Avery,  son  of  John,  lived  at  Oyster  Bay,  Long 
Island;  had  a  son,  Joseph,  who  moved  to  East  Chester,  West- 
chester County,  N.  Y.  {David  Avery  ms.) . 

(2)  Joshua  Townsend,  Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island,  made  a 
will  Jan.  4,  1742,  that  was  witnessed  by  Joseph  Avery  {New 
York  Wills,  18:376). 

(3)  Gilbert  Honeywell,  Westchester  Borough,  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  a  will  made  April  23,  1764,  and  proved  April  23, 
1776,  mentioned  wife,  Mary;  son,  Gilbert;  daus.,  Elizabeth  and 
Mary ;  Mary,  wife  of  Joseph  Avery ;  Thaddeus  and  Alpheus,  sons 
of  Joseph  Avery  {Calendar  of  Wills,  Albany,  N.  Y.). 

(4)  Tradition  in  the  family  of  the  descendants  of  Thad- 
deus Avery. 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Honeywell)  Avery: 

600.  i.       Thaddeus",  b.  Oct.  30,  1749. 

601.  ii.      Alpheus". 


The    Fifth    Generation  219 


227.  Lucy'  Avery  {Christopher^  Samuel'-,  James'-,  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  April  13,  1722,  at  Groton;  m.  Jan.  13,  1742,  at 
Groton,  Peter Bulkley,  s.of  the  Rev.  John  and  Patience  (Prentice) 
Bulkley  {David  Avenj  ms.) .  He  was  b.  Nov.  21,  1712,  at  Groton. 
Christopher^  Avery,  in  his  will,  dated  Nov.  3,  1767,  mentioned  his 
grandchildren,  Peter,  William,  and  Lucy  Bulkley,  children  of  his 
daughter,  Lucy,  deceased  {Sfoningto7i  Wills,  1:34).  She  d.  Aug. 
21,  1754 ;  Peter  Bulkley  married  a  second  wife  and  d.  after  1761. 

Children  of  Peter  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Bulkley,  b.  at  Groton: 
i.       Peter",  b.  Feb.  4,  1744;  m.  Hannah  Breed, 
ii.     William". 
iii.     Lucy'',  m.  John  Breed. 

228.  William'  Avery  {Christopher^  SamueP,  James',  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Nov.  25,  1724,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  16,  1761,  at 
Groton,  Mary  Dolbeare,  dau.  of  George  and  Mary  (Sharswood) 
Dolbeare.  She  was  b.  Aug.  19,  1740,  at  New  London.  A  stone 
in  the  Starr  cemetery,  Groton,  has  the  following:  "In  Memory 
of  Mrs.  Mary,  wife  of  William  Avery,  Esq.,  who  departed  this 
hfe,  Oct.  4,  A.  D.,  1774,  in  the  33d  year  of  her  age."  William 
Avery  m.  2d,  March  16,  1775,  at  Groton,  Hannah  Walsworth,  dau. 
of  Paul  and  Sarah  (Goodrich)  Woodbridge,  and  widow  of  Sam- 
uel Walsworth.  She  was  b.  March  19,  1743,  at  Groton.  William'' 
Avery  was  town  clerk  and  treasurer  of  Groton  from  Jan.  27, 
1768,  until  his  death  in  1787.  During  the  Revolution  he  served 
on  many  war  committees.  The  following  are  copies  of  documents 
found  on  the  town-books  in  his  hand  writing: 

"At  a  town  meeting  legally  warned  and  held  in  Groton  on  Monday  the 
20th  day  of  June,  1774,  William  Williams,  Esq.,  moderator. 

"This  Town  taking  into  their  Sereous  consideration  the  Dangerous  Situ- 
ation of  the  British  Colonies  in  North  America  Respecting  Sundry 
late  Acts  of  the  Brittish  Parliament  Particularly  those  for  Shutting 
up  the  Port  of  Boston  the  metropolis  of  the  Province  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  and  abridging  their  Chai'ter  Rights  &c  which  if  carried 
into  Execution  not  only  Deprive  us  of  all  our  Privileges  but  Render 
life  and  property  very  precarious;  and  as  we  esteem  the  Inhabitants 
of  Boston  now  suffering  under  the  Tyranny  of  said  Acts  of  Parlia- 
ment and  in  the  common  cause  of  America — 

"Voted  That  we  will  join  with  the  other  Towns  in  the  colony  in  Such 
Reasonable  measures  as  shall  be  judged  best  for  the  General  Good 
and  most  likely  to  obtain  Redress  of  our  Greviances. 

"Voted    That  we  esteem  a  General  Congress  of  all  the  Colonies  the  only 


220  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Probable  meathod  to  adopt  a  uniform  Plan  for  the  Preservation  of 
the  whole — 

"Voted  That  if  it  shall  be  judged  best  by  said  Congress  to  stop  all  Ex- 
ports to  Great  Britain  and  the  West  India  Islands,  and  imports  from 
thence,  we  will  most  chearfully  acqiuese  in  their  Determination 
Estimating  the  Benefits  Arising  therefrom  mear  Triffles  compared 
with  the  Rights  and  Privileges  of  America — 

"Voted  That  Capt.  William  Ledyard,  Thomas  Mumford,  Benadam  Gal- 
lop, Esq.,  Amos  Prentice,  Messrs.  Charles  Eldridge,  Jr.,  Dea.  John 
Hurlburt  and  Amos  Geer  be  a  committee  to  correspond  with  the  sev- 
eral Towns  of  this  and  the  other  Brittish  Colonies — 

"Voted  That  the  above  Resolves  be  published  in  the  New  London  Ga- 
zette. 

In  the  following  December,  the  town  held  another  meeting, 
with  this  result : 

"Dec.  12,  1774.  The  inhabitants  of  this  town  being  sensible  that  a  strict 
adherence  and  observance  of  all  the  Resolves  of  the  Continental  Con- 
gress held  at  Philadelphia  in  September  last  is  of  the  most  Import- 
ance for  the  preservation  of  American  Rights  and  Liberties  to  effect 
which  agreeable  to  the  11th  article  of  said  Congress  Association 
Agreement  they  chose  the  following  Gentlemen  Committee  of  Inspec- 
tion for  that  purpose  therein  contained." 

The  committee  consisted  of  fourteen,  among  whom  were 
William  Avery,  the  town  clerk,  David  Avery,  and  Ebenezer 
Avery  (Toum  Minutes) . 

September  21,  1779,  William'  Avery  was  chosen  to  represent 
the  town  at  a  general  convention  to  be  held  at  Hartford.  He  was 
also  on  a  committee  that  year  to  obtain  soldiers  for  the  town's 
quota.  In  1780,  he  was  one  of  the  committee  to  raise  a  bounty 
for  the  soldiers.  He  was  also  on  a  committee  to  see  if  Groton 
possessed  any  public  lands  that  could  be  sold  for  that  purpose. 
In  1781,  he  and  four  others  were  appointed  to  assess  the  estates 
of  the  town  and  to  raise  198  pounds,  "solid  money,"  for  bounties 
for  the  soldiers. 

On  a  stone  in  the  Starr  cemetery  is  the  following: 

"This  monument,  sacred  to  the  memory  of  William  Avery, 
Esq.,  who  departed  this  life.  May  4,  A  Dom.,  1787,  in  the 
63rd  year  of  his  age. 


The    Fifth    Generation  221 

The  wise,  the  just,  the  pious  and  the  brave. 
Live  in  their  death  and  flourish  in  their  grave, 
Grain  laid  in  eai'th  repays  the  pleasant  care. 
And  evening  suns  but  set  to  rise  more  fair." 

His  widow,  Mrs.  Hannah  Avery,  m.  3d,  Peter  Avery  (No. 
263) .    She  d.  Apr.  13,  1831,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  William  and  Mary  (Dolbeare)  Avery,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

610.  i.       George  Dolbeare',  b.  Aug.  19,  1763. 

611.  ii.      MARY^  b.  Nov.  23,  1764. 

iii.     Abigail",  b.  Aug.  21,  1766;  d.  July  8,  1768. 

612.  iv.     Hannah",  b.  July  20,  1772. 

613.  V.      Samuel'',  b.  May  12,  1774. 

Child  of  William  and  Hannah  (Woodbridge)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

614.  i.       Sarah",  b.  Jan.  16,  1776. 

229.  Susannah  ^ Avery  (Chiistopher*,  Samuel^,  James-, Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Oct.  14,  1728,  at  Groton ;  bap.  Nov.  17,1728,  First 
Church  of  Groton;  m.  Dec.  28, 1749,  at  Groton,  Oliver  Woodbridge, 
s.  of  Ephriam  and  Hannah  (Morgan)  Woodbridge.  He  was  b. 
Dec.  3,  1723,  at  Groton.    She  d.  Jan.  4,  1767-8,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Oliver  and  Susannah  (Avery)  Woodbridge,  b.  at 
Groton : 

i.       Henry",  b.  Oct.  25,  1750;  m.  Michael ;  killed  at  Fort  Griswold, 

Sept.  6,  1781. 

ii.      Lucy",  b.  April  14,  1753. 

iii.  Christopher",  b.  July  4,  1756;  m.  Sarah  ;  killed  at  Fort  Gris- 
wold, Sept.  6,  1781. 

iv.     Mary",  b.  Sept.  20,  1760. 

V.      Oliver",  b.  Sept.  3,  1763. 

230.  Deborah^  Avery  (Christopher*,  Samuel^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  June  5,  1731,  at  Groton;  bap.  July  11,  1731,  First 
Church  of  Groton ;  m.  July  25,  1752,  at  Groton,  Jasper  Latham,  s. 
of  Jasper  and  Abigail  Latham.  He  was  lieutenant,  first  company, 
eighth  regiment,  1754;  captain,  fifth  company,  1757  (Co7in.  Col. 
Rec,  10:264,  316  &  11 :69).  In  a  will  made  Aug.  14,  1797,  and 
proved  Feb,  4, 1798-9, he  mentioned  wife, Deborah  ;  dau., Rebecca; 
sons,  Amos  and  George;  children  of  deceased  son,  Jasper  (Ston- 
ington  Wills,  6:115).  He  d.  Jan.  11,  1798,  in  his  85th  year;  she 
d.  July  3,  1808  {Tombstones  in  Starr  burying-ground) . 


222  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Children  of  Jasper  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Latham,  b.  at 
Groton : 

i.       Mary",  b.  July  7,  1753. 

ii.      Jasper',  b.  Aug.  30,  1755;  m.  Lydia ;  d.  May  4,  1789,  at  Groton. 

iii.     Amos'',  b.  July  16,  1759. 

iv.     Deborah",  b.  Feb.  24,  1762. 

V.      Lucy",  bap.  Sept.  16,  1765,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

vi.     Rebecca',  b.  Sept.  26,  1766. 

vii.    George'',  b.  Nov.  6,  1769;  m.  Rebecca  Babcock;  d.  Oct.  30,  1849,  at 

Groton. 
viii.  Hannah'',  b.  Oct.  6,  1774;  d.  Aug.  4,  1797,  at  Groton;  unm. 

231.  Margaret'^  Averv  (Christopher*,  Samuel^-,  James-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  March  12,  1738,  at  Groton;  bap.  April  29,  1739, 
First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  Jan.  14,  1760,  at  Groton,  David  Lester, 
son  of  Jonathan  and  Deborah  (Allyn)  Lester  (No.  10,  ii ;  David 
Avery  ms.) .    He  was  bap.  Nov.  7,  1736,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

She  d.  Feb.  19,  1771,  at  Groton.    He  m.  2d.  Elizabeth .    In 

February,  1776,  the  court  appointed  William  Avery  guardian  of 
Christopher  Lester;  Thomas  Lester  guardian  of  Peter  Lester; 
Mrs.  Jasper  Latham  guardian  of  Margaret  Lester,  minor  children 
of  David  Lester,  lately  deceased  (Stonington  Probate  Records). 

Children  of  David  and  Margaret  (Avery)  Lester,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton : 

i.       Daniel",  b.  Sept.  15,  1760. 

ii.      Christopher",  b.  Sept.  10,  1763;  m.  Mary  Fish. 

iii.     Margaret",  b.  Oct.  23,  1765. 

iv.     Peter",  b.  Sept.  25,  1767. 

232.  Rebecca'  Avery  {Christopher*,  Samuel'^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Dec.  24,  1741,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  21,  1742, 
First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  Jan.  4,  1764,  at  Preston,  Nathan 
Lester,  s.  of  John  and  Mary  (Herrick)  Lester  (David  Avery  ms.) . 
He  was  b.  Sept.  8,  1743,  at  Preston.  Christopher  Avery,  in  a  will 
dated  Nov.  3,  1767,  mentioned  his  daughter,  Rebecca,  wife  of 
Nathan  Lester.  She  d.  March  17,  1771,  at  Preston.  He  m.  2d, 
Elizabeth  Averill. 

Child  of  Nathan  and  Rebecca  (Avery)  Lester,  b.  at  Preston: 
i.       Mary',  b.  Jan.  29,   1768. 

233.  Humphrey'  Avery  (Humphrey*,  Samuel'',  James-, Chris- 
topher') was  b.  March  10,  1725,  at  Groton;  m.  July  19,  1745,  at 
Groton,  Mary  Baldwin,  dau.  of  Sylvester  and  Elizabeth  (Avery) 


The    Fifth    Generation  223 

Baldwin  (No.  29,  ii).  She  was  b.  Sept.  14,  1726,  at  Groton ;  d. 
April  11,  1759.  Humphrey  Avery, by  the  purchase  of  four  lottery 
tickets,  came  into  possession  of  Pine  Neck,  Swan  Creek  Neck, 
Short  Neck,  and  a  lot  called  No.  15,  all  in  Winthrop's  Patent, 
Long  Island.  These  lots  were  some  of  the  prizes  in  his  father's 
lottery,  an  account  of  which  appears  on  page  156.  The  drawing 
was  conducted  by  sworn  officials  appointed  by  the  commissioners 
of  New  York.  Later,  Humphrey  Avery  purchased  more  of  the 
land  in  Winthrop's  Patent,  the  last  deed  bearing  date  of  Aug.  15, 
1789  (Siilfolk  Deeds,  B:352,  385).  Many  of  the  original  deeds 
are  in  the  possession  of  Charles  W.  Avery  (No.  6549) ,  Patchogue, 
L.  L,  a  descendant. 

Humphrey"'  Avery  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  Chiswick, 
N.  H.,  in  1764.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Susquehanna  land 
company.  February  23,  1772,  he  and  associates  petitioned  New 
York  for  23,000  acres  of  land  between  Lake  Champlain  and  the 
Connecticut  River  {NewYorkLandPapers,  30:142).  In  Septem- 
ber, 1774,  the  commissioners  of  the  New  York  land  office  granted 
to  him  and  his  associates  28,000  acres  of  land.  They  conveyed 
this  land  to  Samuel  Avery  (No.  236),  September  29. 

Humphrey'  Avery,  in  his  will  made  Sept.  9,  1789,  called  him- 
self of  Brookhaven,  Long  Island.  He  bequeathed  to  his  eldest 
son,  Thomas  Avery,  one  half  of  his  lands,  meadows  and  buildings 
at  Pine  Neck;  to  his  fourth  son,  Roger,  the  other  half;  to  his 
second  son,  Humphrey,  he  bequeathed  his  lands,  meadows,  and 
buildings,  at  Blue  Point;  to  these  three  sons,  he  also  gave  his 
dwelling  house,  grist-mill,  saw-mill,  and  all  his  lands  in  Win- 
throp's Patent  not  otherwise  disposed  of  and  all  his  lands  else- 
where, to  be  equally  divided  among  them ;  his  son,  Nathan, 
"being  in  a  state  of  lunacy,"  was  to  be  cared  for  by  his  brothers ; 
he  gave  to  his  eldest  daughter,  Mary  Avery,  a  silver  tankard  and 
a  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  in  lawful  money ;  his  second 
daughter,  Susanna  Avery,  was  to  have  a  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds  on  her  marriage.  The  will  was  proved  Jan.  29,  1790.  It 
is  recorded  at  Smithtown,  Suffolk  County,  Long  Island. 

The  record  of  the  children  as  given  below  was  furnished  by 
Charles  Z.  Gillette,  Sayville,  L.  I.,  and  Charles  W.  Avery,  Pat- 
chogue, L.  I.,  descendants. 

Children  of  Humphrey  and  Mary  (Baldwin)  Avery,  b.  at 
Brookhaven,  Long  Island : 


615. 

1. 

616. 

ii. 

617. 

iii. 

iv. 

V. 

618. 

vi. 

619. 

vii 

224  The    Groton    Avery    Clan 

Thomas'',  b.  July  15,  1746. 

Mary',  b.  April  19,  1748;  m.  Amos  Avery  (No.  420). 

Humphrey",  b.  July  12,  1750. 

Nathan'"',  b.  Oct.  24,  1751;  d.  after  1789,  unm. 

Sylvester",  b.  June  3,  1753;  d.  Oct.  10,  1753. 

Roger",  b.  April  2,  1755. 

Susanna",  b.  July  22,  1758. 

234.  William-^  Avery  (Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Sept.  13,  1726,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  27,  1749,  at 
Preston,  Hannah  Meech,  dau.  of  Daniel  andAmy  (Wilcox)  Meech. 
She  was  b.  Sept.  3,  1730,  at  North  Stonington.  She  was  called 
Hannah  Avery  in  her  father's  will.  William^  Avery  probably 
moved  to  Vermont.  He  was  one  of  the  grantees  of  Lempster, 
1761 ;  of  Chiswick,  1764 ;  of  Lisbon,  1764,  all  of  New  Hampshire. 
He  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Susquehanna  land  company. 
The  Rev.  David  Avery,  in  his  manuscript,  said  that  William 
Avery,  son  of  Humphrey  Avery,  married  Jerusha  Meech  and  had 
Cynthia,  Jerusha,  William,  and  Humphrey.  The  Preston  records 
and  Daniel  Meech's  will  say  that  her  name  was  Hannah.  Family 
tradition  says  that  Elisha  w^as  the  son  of  William  Avery,  but  we 
have  no  documentary  proof.  William'  Avery  is  supposed  to  have 
gone  with  his  son,  William^  to  North  Stukeley,  Canada.  He  was 
accidentally  drowned  in  the  winter  of  1800. 

Children  of  William  and  Hannah  (Meech)  Avery: 


620. 

1, 

Cynthia",  b.  Dec.  12,  1750,  at  Preston. 

621. 

ii. 

Jerusha". 

622. 

iii. 

Humphrey". 

623. 

iv. 

Elisha".  b.  July,  1761. 

624. 

V. 

William",  b.  Oct.  8,  1770,  at  Brattleboro 

vt. 

235.  Solomon^  Avery  (Humphrey*,  Samuel",  James'-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  June  17,  1729,  at  Groton;  bap.  July  27,  1729,  First 
Church  of  Groton;  m.  Feb.  18, 1751, atGroton, Hannah  Punderson, 
dau.  of  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  and  Hannah  (Miner)  Punderson,  and 
great-granddaughter  of  Hannah  Avery  (No,  3) .  She  was  b.  June 
16,  1733,  at  Groton.  Solomon  Avery  was  one  of  the  grantees  of 
Chiswick,  N.  H.,  and  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Susquehanna 
land  company.  The  Boston  Gazette  and  County  Journal,  July 
27,  1778,  contained  a  letter  from  Mr.  Samuel  Avery,  of  July  15, 
1778,  "giving  the  disagreeable  intelligence  brought  by  Mr.  Solo- 
mon Avery  this  moment  returned  from  Wyoming  on  the  Sus- 


The   Fifth  Generation 


225 


quehanna  River,  which  says  'the  infoimant  conceives  that  of 
about  five  thousand  inhabitants  one  half  are  killed  and  taken  by 
the  enemy  prisoneis  and  the  others  fleeing  away  naked  and  dis- 
tressed !'  "  (Winsor's  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America, 
6:662).  April  25,  1780,  Solomon  Avery,  Richardson  Avery,  and 
other  inhabitants  of  Wilkesbarre,  Penn.,  asked  for  help  to  build  a 


ii'^- 


J  ^1 


i\ 


"         T 


GRAVESTONE   OF   SOLOMON   AVERY 


fort  and  for  arms  and  ammunition  "In  the  name  and  in  behalf  of 
themselves  and  the  Rest  of  the  People  that  are  driven  from  their 
settlements  at  Westmoreland  on  the  Susquehanna  River  by  the 
savages"  {Western  Land  Documents,  Hartford,  1:118).  July 
11,  1783,  Solomon  Avery  wrote  from  Groton  to  his  brother.  Col. 
Waightstill  Avery  of  North  Carolina,  telling  him  of  the  battle  of 


625. 

1, 

626. 

ii. 

627. 

iii. 

628. 

iv. 

629. 

V. 

630. 

vi. 

631. 

vii. 

632. 

viii 

226  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Groton  Heights,  Sept.  6,  1781.  He  says:  "Eleven  Averys  were 
killed  in  the  fort  at  Groton  and  seven  wounded.  Many  Averys 
have  been  killed  in  this  county,  but  there  have  been  no  Tories 
among  them  of  our  name."  The  letter  is  in  the  possession  of  a 
descendant  of  Waightstill  Avery. 

Solomon"'  Avery's  wife  d.  Feb.  5,  1775,  at  Norwich,  Conn.; 
he  d.  Dec.  23,  1798,  at  Putnam  township  (Tunkhannock), 
Luzerne  County,  Penn. 

Children  of  Solomon  and  Hannah  (Punderson)  Avery: 

Zipporah",  b.  Feb.  8,  1752,  at  Preston. 

Esther',  b.  Nov.  29,  1754,  at  New  Haven. 

Solomon',  b.  Aug.  13,  1757,  at  Norwich. 

Miles',  b.  Sept,  5,  1760,  at  Norwich. 

Stephen',  b.  Aug.  13,  1762,  at  Groton. 

Ebenezer  Punderson',  b.  May  21,  1765,  at  Groton, 

Henry',  b.  May  4,  1767,  at  Groton. 
viii.  Cyrus',  b.  May  12,  1771,  at  Norwich, 
ix.     Humphrey',  b.  Jan.  17,  1775,  at  Norwich;    d.  Feb.  8,  1776. 

236.  Samuel'^  Avery  (Humphrey^  Samuel^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Oct.  17,  1731,  at  Groton;  m.  Sybil  Noyes,  dau.  of 
William  and  Sybil  (Whiting)  Noyes.  She  was  b.  Nov.  19,  1745, 
at  Groton.  She  was  a  descendant  of  Gov.  William  Bradford,  of 
John  Alden,  and  of  Thomas  Rogers  of  the  "Mayflower"  {Records 
of  New  YorkMayfloiver  Society) .  SamueP  Avery  and  Sybil  Noyes 
were  married  before  Nov.,  1761,  at  which  time  Sybil  Avery 
owned  a  share  in  the  Susquehanna  land  company.  After  her 
death,  SamueP  Avery  m.  Mary  Ann  Rose,  dau.  of  Joseph  Rose. 
Samuel  Avery  was  in  Capt.  Robert  Denison's  company  in  the 
campaign  of  1755 ;  in  Seth  King's  company,  first  Connecticut  reg't, 
1762  (French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1 :10  &  2  :318) .  He  was  edu- 
cated for  a  lawyer.  He  emigrated  to  Vermont  where  he  thought 
that  he  had  acquired  a  large  tract  of  land.  Col.  John  Henry 
Lydius,  an  Indian  trader,  had  bought  14,000  square  miles  of  land 
of  the  Mohawk  Indians  in  1739.  This  was  confirmed  to  him  by 
Gov.  Shirley  of  Massachusetts,  in  1744.  He  sold  to  Samuel  Avery 
and  his  associates,  two  townships,  one  of  28,000  acres  lying  north 
of  Otter  Creek,  and  the  other  of  24,000  acres  lying  south  of  the 
same.  Samuel  Avery  had  great  difficulty  in  maintaining  his 
claim.    In  1772,  he  and  his  associates  petitioned  the  New  York 


The   Fifth  Generation  227 

government  to  confirm  their  grant.  After  much  delay  and  ex- 
pense, letters  patent  were  issued  to  them,  Aug.  16,  1774  {New 
York  Land  Papers,  30:142  &  60:129).  But  they  had  reckoned 
without  the  new  and  growing  power  of  Vermont,  in  the  terri- 
tory of  which  the  land  was  situated.  When  first  presented, 
Vermont  refused  to  allow  the  claim.  February  16,  1781,  Samuel 
Avery  of  Windsor,  "a  friend  to  this  and  the  United  States  of 
America,"  petitioned  the  general  assembly  of  Vermont,  setting 
forth  the  difficulties  under  which  he  had  labored  and  humbly 
asking  that  they  would  confirm  him  in  the  tract  above  described. 


The  petition  did  not  avail ;  nor  was  it  until  1789  that  he  was 
able  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  resolution  granting  him  52,000 
acres  of  "unlocated  land  to  be  found  therein  for  such  moderate 
fees  as  shall  be  deemed  just  and  equitable."  He  had  to  take  the 
land  in  parcels  wherever  he  could  find  it.  The  largest  tract 
was  in  Orleans  County  and  contained  11,080  acres;  the  next 
was  in  Essex  County  and  contained  10,685  acres  of  mountain- 
ous land.  He  located  9,723  acres  in  Franklin  County;  8,744 
in  Addison  County;  5,970  in  Chittenden  County;  2,936  in  Cal- 
edonia County,  and  1,318  in  Windham  County  {New  Hampshire 
State  Papers,  26:617  et  seq.).  Some  of  these  lands  he  lost  by 
"squatter  sovereignty;"  he  never  received  anything  like  an 
adequate  return  for  the  time,  labor,  anxiety,  and  cash  that  they 
had  cost. 

SamueP  Avery  served  in  Capt.  John  Petty's  company,  Col. 
Williams's  regiment  of  Vermont  militia  in  1777  {Vermont  Revo- 
lutionary Rolls,  36) .  He  was  living  in  Cumberland  County,  Ver- 
mont, in  1780 ;  was  deputy-sheriff  and  keeper  of  the  jail  at  West* 
minster  in  1782  and  1784,  when  certain  Cumberland  men  were 


228  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

indicted  for  riotous  resistance  to  Vermont  authority  {Governor 
and  Council,  Vermont,  3:239). 

About  1795,  SamueP  Avery  emigrated  to  the  Susquehanna 
Valley,  near  Athens.  He  had  long  been  interested  in  this  region ; 
we  find  his  name  on  the  list  of  proprietors  of  the  company  claim- 
ing lands  in  the  Wyoming  country,  Aug.  28,  1761. 

He  frequentlj^  visited  the  Wyoming  region.  However,  he 
was  living  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  Oct.  12,  1779,  when  he  deeded  to 
the  "sons  of  my  father — Humphrey,  William,  Solomon,  James, 
Palmes,  Waitstill,  Isaac,"  a  family  burial-lot  "for  my  father's 
descendants  forever."  Already  were  buried  there  his  father  and 
mother,  his  wife,  Sybil,  his  brother  Solomon's  wife,  and  others  of 
the  family. 

About  1796,  he  began  improvements  on  his  extensive  estate 
in  the  Susquehanna  region,  but  was  soon  in  litigation  with  those 
who  claimed  from  the  heirs  of  William  Penn.  In  the  end,  he 
lost  heavily.  In  1802,  he  was  one  of  a  committee  to  settle  the 
difficulties  between  Pennsylvania  and  the  Connecticut  land  com- 
panies. He  reviewed  the  whole  matter  in  a  pamphlet,  entitled : 
"The  Susquehanna  Contr^ovei'sy  Examined.  The  Material  Ob- 
jections against  the  Connecticut  Title  or  Claim  Ansivered.  With 
some  general  reaso7iing  on  the  whole  matter.  Done  with  Truth 
and  Candor.    Blessed  are  the  Peacemakers." 

In  1793,  he  offered  the  state  of  New  York  two  shillings  an 
acre  for  20,000  acres  of  land  between  Lake  Champlain  and 
Wood's  Creek ;  3s.  an  acre  for  5,000  acres  of  land  west  of  the 
Delaware  and  joining  the  Pennsylvania  line;  3s.  an  acre  for  a 
township  ten  miles  square  north  of  the  Mohawk  line  (Neiv  York 
State  Papers,  56 :40) . 

About  1802,  he  moved  to  Owego,  New  York,  purchased  much 
land,  Imilt  an  elegant  mansion,  and  at  his  death  was  one  of  the 
most  wealthy  and  popular  men  in  the  state.  He  d.  Aug.  4,  1806, 
at  Owego. 

Child  of  Samuel  and  Sybil  (Noyes)  Avery: 

634.  i.       Sybil  Noyes'. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Ann  (Rose)  Avery: 

635.  i.       Samuel  William",  b.  June  28,  1779. 
ii.      Mary  Ann',  b.  May  4,  1781;    d.  unm. 


The   Fifth  Generation  229 

636.  iii.  John  Humphrey",  b.  Nov.  4,  1782. 

637.  iv,  Frances',  b.  Sept.  9,  1785,  at  Westminster,  Vt. 

638.  V.  Susan',  b.  March  31,  1787. 

639.  vi.  Isabella",  b.  June  24,  1789. 

237.  James'^  Avery  {Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Aug.  13,  1733,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  13,  1769,  at 
Plainfield,  Conn,,  Martha  Smith,  dau.  of  a  brother  of  Luther 
Smith,  of  Plainfield  {David  Avery  ms.) .  He  was  one  of  the 
grantees  of  Chiswick,  Lisbon,  LanderofF,  and  Lincoln,  all  in  New 
Hampshire.  He  purchased  the  rights  of  the  other  charter  mem- 
bers of  Chiswick  and  sold  them  for  five  hundred  pounds,  March 
13,  1769,  to  Israel  Morey  and  Moses  Little  {History  of  Littleton, 
N.  H.,  1 :155) .  He  was  also  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Susque- 
hanna land  company.  He  d.  Feb.  22,  1794,  at  Poquetannock, 
Conn.,  and  is  buried  in  the  ground  given  by  his  brother,  Samuel, 
as  a  burial  lot  for  the  descendants  of  his  father. 

Children  of  James  and  Martha  (Smith)  Avery: 

i.       Lemuel',  b.  Dec.  16,  1770;  d.  May  22,  1796,  at  Grenada,  West 
Indies. 
Martha',  b.  Aug.  22,  1773. 
James',  b.  April  19,  1776. 
Christopher',  b.  Sept.  5,  1778. 
Jerusha',  b.   March   16,   1781. 
Benjamin',  b.  Nov.  16,  1783. 

John  Humphrey',  b.  Dec.  2,  1787;   d.  at  sea;   unm. 
645.     viii.  Henry  Clinton',  b.  Nov.  11,  1790. 

239.  Christopher'^  Avery  {Humphrey^  SamueP,  James^, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  May  3,  1739,  at  Groton.  With  his  brothers, 
he  was  a  grantee  of  Chiswick  and  of  Lisbon,  N.  H.,  in  1764 ;  he 
was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Susquehanna  land  company. 
His  name  is  found  on  the  list  of  "Yankee  Prisoners"  taken  by  the 
Pennsylvanians  in  1774.  He  moved  to  the  Wyoming  Valley  as 
early  as  1769 ;  was  sent  thence  as  a  delegate  to  the  Connecticut 
legislature  in  1769  and  1774.  He  was  in  the  government  em- 
ployment in  1775,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  pass : 

"To  whom  it  may  concern: 

The  bearer,  Christopher  Avery,  is  employed  by  the  Continental  Congress 
on  business  of  importance,  and  is  journeying  in  the  protection  of  the 
Barriers  and  is  to  have  free  range  to  Wyoming,  on  the  East  branch 
of  the  Susquehanna  River,  and  must  not  be  hindered  or  molested. 


640. 

11. 

641. 

iii. 

642. 

iv. 

643. 

V. 

644. 

vi. 

vii, 

230  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

but  all  persons  are  requested  to  afford  him  every  assistance  he  may 
need  and  forward  him  on  his  journey  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Given  under  my  hand  at  Philadelphia,  this  5th  day  of  November,  1775. 

John  Hancock,  President." 

On  June  1,  1778,  he  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Trumbull  as 
justice  of  the  peace  for  the  county  of  Westmoreland,  Connecticut 
(Pennsylvania).  He  was  an  ensign  in  the  Continental  army. 
June  30, 1778,  a  body  of  British  troops  and  seven  hundred  Indians 
entered  the  Valley  of  the  Wyoming,  and  demanded  the  surrender 
of  Forty  Fort,  the  principal  fortification.  After  a  desperate  bat- 
tle, the  fort  surrendered;  some  of  the  survivors  were  massacred 
and  most  of  the  others  were  forced  to  flee  from  the  valley. 
Among  the  killed  (July  3,  1778)  was  Christopher^  Avery.  See 
Avery's  History  of  the  United  States  and  Its  Peo2)ie,vol.6,chap.8. 

240.  WaightstilF  Avery  (Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  May  10,  1741,  at  Groton;  m.  October  3, 
1778,  at  Newbern,  N.  C,  Mrs.  Leah  Francks,  dau.  of  Capt.  Yel- 
verton  Peyton  Probart  of  Snow  Hill,  Maryland,  a  nephew  of  Sir 
Willam  Peyton  and  a  captain  in  the  British  navy.  She  was  the 
widow  of  Edward  Francks. 

Waightstill  Avery  was  one  of  the  grantees  of  Littleton, 
N.  H.,  Nov.  17, 1764.  He  and  his  brother,  Isaac,  were  prepared  for 
college  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury,  a  native  of  Groton.  At  his 
graduation  by  Princeton  College  in  1766,  he  was  awarded  high 
honor  in  his  class  and  delivered  a  Latin  salutatory.  He  soon  went 
to  Maryland  where  he  studied  law  with  Littleton  Dennis,  and 
then  removed  to  North  Carolina,  taking  with  him  letters  to 
her  most  prominent  men.  About  this  time  he  changed  the 
spelling  of  his  name  from  Waitstill  to  Waightstill.  He  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  that  colony,  Feb.  4,  1769,  lived  at  Salis- 
bury a  year,  and  then  went  to  Charlotte  where  he  soon  acquired 
friends  and  rapid  promotion.  In  1772,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
provincial  assembly  and  was  soon  made  attorney-general  for  the 
crown.  He  was  active  in  encouraging  education  and  literature, 
and  was  a  devoted  friend  to  liberty.  In  the  dubious  and  danger- 
ous  conflict   with   the   mother 

i^aiuijttdZaO   (Zutny      country,  he  was  a  leader  of  the 
'  '*'*'»^  ^  •w-i^.^   ^ — ^      X        ]3q1(J    spirits    m    the    patriotic 

county  of  Mecklenburg.  In  May, 


Q^CdUIO  ^^ 


The   Fifth  Generation  231 

1775,  he  was  a  member  of  the  committee  that  passed  the  famous 
"Mecklenburg  Resolves,"  and  was  one  of  those  who  signed  that 
defiant  document.  (See  Avery's  History  of  the  United  States  and 
Its  People,  vol.  5,  chap.  19) .  In  the  same  year,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  committee  of  safety  for  Rowan  county,  a  committee  that 
urged  the  militia  captains  to  prepare  for  war,  took  possession  of 
all  the  powder  of  the  county,  and  resolved  "to  rouse  like  one  Man 
in  Defense  of  our  religion  from  Popery,  our  Liberty  from  Slavery 
and  our  lives  from  Tormenting  Death"  (Col.  Rec.  of  North  Caro- 
lina, 10:135).  In  August,  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  provincial 
congress  held  at  Hillsborough,  which  placed  the  state  under  a 
military  organization.  This  congress  passed  the  following  reso- 
lution, to  which  Waightstill  Avery  affixed  his  name : 

"We  the  Subscribers  professing  our  Allegiance  to  the  King  and  Acknowl- 
edging the  constitutional  executive  power  of  government,  do  solemnly 
profess,  testify  and  declare  that  we  do  absolutely  believe  that  neither 
the  Parliament  of  Great  Britain,  nor  any  Member  or  Constituent 
Branch  thereof,  have  a  right  to  impose  Taxes  upon  these  Colonies  to 
regulate  the  internal  police  thereof ;  and  that  all  attempts  by  fraud  or 
force  to  establish  and  exercise  such  Claims  and  powers  are  Violations 
of  the  peace  and  Security  of  the  people  and  ought  to  be  resisted  to  the 
utmost.  And  that  the  people  of  this  province,  singly  and  collectively, 
are  bound  by  the  Acts  and  resolutions  of  the  Continental  and  Provin- 
cial Congresses,  because  in  both  they  are  freely  represented  by  persons 
chosen  by  themselves ;  And  we  do  solemnly  and  sincerely  engage,  under 
the  Sanction  of  virtue,  honor  and  Sacred  Love  of  Liberty,  and  our 
Country,  to  maintain  and  support  all  and  every  the  Acts,  Resolutions 
and  Regulations  of  the  said  Continental  and  Provincial  Congresses,  to  the 
utmost  of  our  power  and  Abilities.  Intestimonywhereof,wehavehere- 
to  set  our  Hands  this  23d  of  August  1775"  (Col.  Rec,  N.  C,  10:171). 

In  September,  the  provincial  congress  created  a  provincial 
council  with  full  power  to  transact  all  such  matters  as  they  shall 
"judge  expedient  to  strengthen,  secure  and  defend  the  colony" 
during  the  recess  of  the  congress,  provided  the  "same  shall  not 
extend  to  altering  or  suspending  any  act  or  resolution  of  con- 
gress." This  provincial  council  numbered  thirteen,  of  whom 
Waightstill  Avery  w^as  one.  He  served  on  many  of  their  impor- 
tant committees  in  this  and  the  following  year,  and  was  sent  to 
South  Carolina  on  important  missions  looking  to  the  union  of  the 
colonies.  On  the  tenth  day  of  May,  1776,  he  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  attorney-general  of  the  province.    This  was  undoubt- 


232  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

edly  his  royal  commission ;  by  this  act  he  severed  his  oificial  con- 
nection with  the  English  government  (Col.  Rec,  N.  C,  13:807). 
At  a  general  conference  of  the  inhabitants  of  Mecklenburg 
County,  Nov.  1,  1776,  instructions  were  drawn  up  for  their  dele- 
gates soon  to  meet  at  Halifax.  Waightstill  Avery  was  one  of 
these  delegates,  and  the  instructions  that  they  received  are,  with 
the  exception  of  two  sections,  in  his  angular  handwriting.  The 
second  section,  which  may  be  taken  as  a  sample  of  the  whole, 
reads  as  follows : 

"That  you   shall   endeavor  to   establish   a  free  government  under  the 
authority  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina  and  that  the 
Government  be  a  simple  Democracy  or  as  near  it  as  possible"  {Col. 
Rec,  N.  C,  10:370a). 
The  minutes  of  the  provincial  congress  that  met  at  Halifax, 
November  12, 1776,  show  that  he  carried  out  the  instructions  that 
he  had  such  a  hand  in  making.     He  was  one  of  the  committee 
that  drafted  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  under  which  North 
Carolina  flourished  for  sixty  years.     More  of  the  document  was 
in  his  handwriting  than  in  that  of  any  other  member  of  the  com- 
mittee.   He  was  the  author  of  the  clause  requiring  the  legislature 
to  provide  for  the  higher  education  of  the  people:    "All  useful 
learning  shall  be  duly  encouraged  and  promoted  in  one  or  more 
universities."      "Golden  words  written  amid  storms  and  thunder- 
ings  to  be  made  good  when  the  sun  shone  on  a  free  and  united 
people."    The  new  constitution  was  adopted  December  18,  1776. 
He  was  also  on  the  committee  for  raising  and  continuing  the 
services  of  the  rangers  for  the  protection  of  the  frontier,  on  one 
for  inquiring  into  the  best  method  of  carrying  on  iron  works  for 
the  benefit  of  the  public,  and  was  appointed  one  of  the  signers  of 
the  proclamation  bills.    After  the  formation  of  the  state  govern- 
ment, he  was  elected  to  the  first  general  assembly  that  met  at 
Newbern,  and  served  the  entire  year  {Col.  Rec,  N.  C,  19:272, 
273) .    In  April,  1777,  he  was  made  one  of  the  trustees  of  "Liberty 
Hall,"  an  institution  of  learning  established  at  Charlotte,  and 
later  burned  by  Cornwallis.     In  May,  1777,  he  was  appointed 
one  of  the  commissioners  who,  in  July,  concluded  a  treaty  with 
the  Cherokee  Indians  on  the  Long  Island  of  Holston — a  treaty 
made  without  an  oath  and  that  was  never  violated.    January  12, 
1777-8,  he  was  made  attorney-general  for  the  state  of  North  Car- 


The   Fifth  Generation  233 


olina,  the  first  under  the  constitution.  He  resigned  that  office, 
May  8,  1779  {State  Rec,  N.  C,  13:752),  and  accepted  a  commis- 
sion as  colonel  of  the  Jones  County  militia,  July  3,  1779.  He  was 
made  one  of  the  governor's  council,  October  26,  1779  {State  Rec, 
N.  C,  13:855,  948).  He  continued  in  active  military  service 
until  Cornwallis  went  to  Yorktown. 

Meantime,  he  had  bought  Swans  Pond  of  "Hunting  John" 
McDowell,  and  to  this  estate  in  Burke  County  his  family  now 
removed.  Colonel  Avery's  patriotism  had  called  down  the  venge- 
ance of  Cornwallis  who  caused  his  office  and  all  his  books  and 
papers  to  be  burned.  When  it  became  known  that  American  in- 
dependence was  secured.  Colonel  Avery  rejoined  his  family  on  his 
pleasant  estate.  He  represented  his  county  in  the  North  Carolina 
house  of  representatives  in  1782,  1783,  1784,  1785  and  1793,  and 
in  the  state  senate  in  1796.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  the 
patriarch  of  the  North  Carolina  bar,  an  exemplary  Christian,  a 
pure  patriot,  and  an  honest  man.  He  wore  knee  breeches,  pow- 
dered wig,  and  the  full  dress  of  the  time  of  Washington  up  to  his 
death. 

In  1788,  when  "Old  Hickory"  was  young.  Colonel  Avery, 
an  avowed  Presbyterian  and  a  Puritan  of  the  strictest  type,  ac- 
cepted a  challenge  to  fight  a  duel.  This  was  in  accordance  with 
the  ethics  of  the  times.  In  a  criminal  case  before  the  court  at 
Jonesboro,  Col.  Avery  had  been  severe  in  his  comments  upon 
some  of  the  legal  positions  taken  by  Andrew  Jackson.  The  lat- 
ter, deeply  mortified,  tore  a  blank  leaf  from  a  law  book,  wrote  a 

challenge  on  it,  and  gave  it  to  his  critic. 

^  '  ^  Agust  12th  1788 

"Sir: — When  a  mans  feeling  &  character  are  injured  he  ought  to  seek  a 
speedy  redress :  You  rec'd  a  few  lines  from  me  yesterday  undoubtedly 
you  understand  me.  My  character  you  have  injured ;  and  further  you 
have  Insulted  me  in  the  presence  of  a  court  and  a  larg  audiance  I 
therefore  call  upon  you  as  a  gentleman  to  give  me  satisfaction  for 
the  same;  and  further  call  upon  you  to  give  me  an  answer  immedi- 
ately without  Equivocation  and  I  hope  you  can  do  without  dinner 
untill  the  bussiniss  done;  for  it  is  consistent  with  the  character  of  a 
gentleman  when  he  injures  a  man  to  make  a  spedy  reparation;  there- 
fore I  hope  you  will  not  fail  in  meeting  me  this  day  from  yr  Hbl.  St. 

Andw.  Jackson. 

Coll.  Avery. 

P  S     This  Evening  after  court  adjourned." 


234 


The    Groton   Avery   Clan 


1 


i 


The   Fifth  Generation  235 

The  combatants  met  just  after  sunset.  Jackson  fired  first, 
but  his  bullet  did  not  take  effect.  Colonel  Avery  then  calmly- 
fired  in  the  air  and,  walking  up  to  Jackson,  admonished  him  in  a 
friendly  manner.    They  left  the  ground  very  good  friends. 

In  "Memorial  Hall"  of  the  North  Carolina  University  is  a 
tablet  inscribed  to  her  distinguished  sons.  Waightstill  Avery's 
name  appears  thereon  in  connection  with  the  provincial  govern- 
ment and  again  in  connection  with  the  state  constitution,  and 
with  the  Revolutionary  war. 

He  d.  March  13,  1821,  at  Morganton.  His  wife  d.  Jan.  13, 
1832. 

Children  of  Waightstill  and  Leah  (Probart)  Avery,  b.  in 
Burke  County: 

647.  i.  Polly  MIRA^  b.  Aug.  24,  1779. 

648.  ii.  Elizabeth",  b.  Aug.,  1782. 

649.  iii.  Isaac  Thomas',  b.  Sept.  22,  1785. 

650.  iv.  Selina  Louise",  b.  Oct.  27,  1788. 

241.  Isaac^  Avery  (Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James^,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Oct.  27,  1743,  at  Groton;  m.  Margaret  Stringer   in 

Accomac  County,  Virginia.  He  was  one  of  the  grantees  of  New- 
port, N.  H.,  Oct.  6,  1761,  and  of  Chiswick,  N.  H.,  Nov.  17,  1764. 
He  went  to  England,  after  having  studied  under  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Seabury  of  Groton,  and  became  an  Episcopal  minister.  He  was 
ordained  deacon  and  priest  by  Richard  Yerrick,  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, England,  Oct.  18,  1769.  A  descendant.  Miss  Lola  Walton, 
has  his  letters  of  ordination  in  her  possession.  They  are  written 
on  parchment,  with  great  seals  of  the  bishop  of  London  attached 
and  crowned  with  the  mitre  and  other  insignia  of  the  office.  He 
was  sent  from  England  to  the  ministry  in  Virginia,  Nov.  9.  1769 
(Gerald  Fothergill's  List  of  Emigrant  Ministers  to  America). 
He  became  rector  of  Bethel  church,  Warwick  County.  He  was  a 
patriot  of  the  Revolution,  being  chosen  one  of  the  committee  of 
safety  for  Northampton,  Dec.  13,  1774.  This  committee  had 
many  duties,  one  being  "to  observe  the  conduct  of  all  persons  to 
the  end  that  all  such  foes  to  the  Rights  of  British  America  may 
be  publickly  known  and  universally  condemned  as  the  enemies  of 
American  liberty"  (William  and  Mary  Quarterly,  5:246).  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  county  committee  on  July  29,  1775.    At 


236  The   Groton  Avery  Clan 

this  time,  the  committee  sent  a  petition  to  the  delegates  assem- 
bled at  Richmond  asking  that  the  law  permitting  them  to  export 
their  grain  till  September  10th  be  not  changed  to  August  5th  as 
was  contemplated.  Such  a  change  would  work  untold  hardships. 
The  petition  reads  as  follows : 

Northampton  County  Committee  to  the  Convention,  1775: 

"To  the  Honorable  the  President  and  Delegates  of  the  People  of  Virginia 
now  assembled  in  Convention  in  the  Town  of  Richmond,  in  the  County 
of  Henrico, — the  humble  petition  of  the  Committee  of  Northampton 
County  in  behalf  of  themselves  &  their  Constituents. — 
Humbly  sheweth 

That  the  people  of  this  County  have  ever  been  jealous  in  sup- 
port of  the  common  cause  and  have  inviolably  observed  those  regula- 
tions established  by  the  General  Congress  for  maintaining  the  liberties 
of  America — fully  convinced  that  those  regulations  would  be  strictly  ad- 
hered to  by  all  ranks  and  orders  of  men  our  constituents  have  formed 
many  engagements  and  entered  into  various  contracts  in  which  they 
have  considered  themselves  as  under  the  faith  and  protection  of  the 
country  whilst  they  walked  within  the  lines  presented  them  by  the 
unitedvoiceof  all  America — Amongst  other  things  they  have  in  all  their 
engagements  had  a  particular  eye  to  that  very  material  clause  which 
prohibited  the  exportation  of  all  merchandise  from  this  Country  to 
Great  Britain  or  the  West  Indies  after  the  Tenth  Day  of  September 
next  and  have  taken  their  measures  in  such  a  manner  as  may  be  as 
little  burthensome  to  themselves  as  possible  and  at  the  same  time  with 
a  full  determination  strictly  to  perform  that  clause  of  the  Continental 
Association — it  is  therefore  with  the  utmost  Sorrow  we  are  informed 
that  the  Convention  of  this  Colony  has  directed  that  a  total  stop  be  put 
to  the  export  of  Grain  and  provisions  from  and  after  the  Fifth  Day  of 
August  next  a  measure  which  if  strictly  enforced  will  bring  the  great- 
est distress  upon  many  merchants  and  private  families  in  this  place 
and  which  have  hitherto  subsisted  amongst  us  whilst  the  Determina- 
tions of  Congress  were  received  as  an  invariable  rule  of  conduct  in 
those  points  which  that  very  respectable  Body  have  taken  under  their 
consideration  Your  petitioners  beg  leave  to  represent  to  the  Conven- 
tion that  the  people  of  this  place  raise  very  large  quantities  of  Indian 
corn  which  is  generally  unsold  late  in  the  Summer  and  altho  we  be- 
lieve there  is  not  so  much  now  on  hand  as  usual  at  this  season  yet 
there  are  such  quantities  as  to  ruin  many  persons  who  have  made  Con- 
tracts respecting  the  same  if  the  ports  are  immediately  stopped.  Your 
Petitioners  therefore  in  behalf  of  themselves  &  the  other  inhabitants 
of  this  place  pray  that  the  exports  to  the  West  Indies  be  kept  open  too 
the  10th  of  Sept  next  and  we  beg  leave  to  assure  the  Convention  that 
the  greatest  care  will  be  taken  by  this  Committee  to  prevent  the  ex- 


The   Fifth  Generation  237 


portation  of  any  provisions  to  the  Northward  where  there  may  be  the 
least  Danger  of  their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Army  and  that  it 
will  be  our  constant  study  to  enforce  within  the  limits  of  our  appoint- 
ment those  regulations  of  the  General  Congress  or  Convention  of  this 
Colony  which  are  now  entered  into  or  may  hereafter  be  adopted  in 
support  of  the  Common  cause. 

Northampton  County  29  July,  1775. 

Signed  by  John  Bowdin,  chairman,  Isaac  Avery,  and  others. 
{Virginia  Hist.  Mag.,  14:54.) 

Isaac^  Avery,  in  a  letter  to  Governor  Thomas  Jefferson,  re- 
signed his  commission  as  county  lieutenant  of  Northampton, 
March  16,  1781  {Calendar  of  Virginia  State  Papers,  1 :574) .  We 
have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  when  he  was  appointed  to  this 
high  position.  Hening's  Statutes  of  Virginia  shows  that,  in  1634, 
Virginia  was  divided  into  eight  shires  to  be  governed  as  shires  in 
England.  County  lieutenants  were  to  be  appointed  as  in  England 
and,  in  a  more  especial  manner  were  "to  take  care  of  the  warr 
against  the  Indians."  "The  lieutenant  or  sub-viceroy  of  royalty 
was  from  its  institution  a  man  of  prominence  and  bore  the  honor- 
ary title  of  colonel."  The  title  and  prerogative  continued  through 
the  Revolution.  From  the  Documentary  History  of  the  Dunmore 
War,  we  learn  that  the  Virginia  county  lieutenant  was  "the  re- 
sponsible local  military  official,"  upon  whom  "developed  the  com- 
missioning of  officers,  the  raising  and  provisioning  of  troops,  the 
location  of  forts,  and  measures  for  defence  and  offence/'  North- 
ampton is  a  peninsula  situated  between  the  Chesapeake  Bay  and 
the  Atlantic  and  was  much  exposed  to  the  enemy. 

Isaac"'  Avery  represented  Northampton  County  in  the  legis- 
lature in  1787,  receiving  all  but  seventy-six  votes  {William  and 
Mary  Quarterly,  6:12). 

A  letter  from  him  written  from  Hampton  P.  0.,  Warwick 
County,  Virginia,  July  30,  1794,  is  in  the  possession  of  a  descend- 
ant.   Among  other  things  he  says : 

"The  subject  of  slavery  has  by  no  means  escaped  my  reflection,  or  my 
cordial  and  utter  disapprobation;  not  from  any  interdiction  I  find  in 
the  sacred  scriptures  (for  it  was  expressly  allowed  to  the  Jews)  but 
from  reason  and  philosophy — I  have  risked  my  life  and  property 
through  a  long  and  bloody  war,  in  defense  of  that  liberty  which  is 
ever  dear  to  me  and  which  I  most  ardently  wish  to  the  whole  human 
Race — But  my  dear  friend  and  Brother,  it  is  impossible  for  you  to 


238  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

form  an  Idea,  or  in  any  manner  to  Judge  of  the  embarrassment  the 
Southern  States  labor  under  in  the  business  of  Slavery — Tho  great 
numbers  in  Virginia  join  me  in  sentiment,  and  wish  that  some  sys- 
tem of  policy  might  be  adopted  which  would  progressively  and  effect- 
ually accomplish  so  happy  a  purpose.  Yet  the  wisdom  of  this  Gov- 
ernment hath  not  been  able  to  devise  any  means  adequate  to  effect 
so  desirable  an  end;  whatever  can  be  done  consisteni  with  the  safety 
and  happiness  of  my  country,  in  so  good  a  cause,  will  always  meet 
with  my  approbation  and  encouragement;  and  whatever  mode  may 
be  hereafter  fallen  on,  it  must  be  a  work  of  time — for  it  must  be  ob- 
vious to  everyone  that  a  total  and  immediate  emancipation  would 
reduce  these  States  to  absolute  Insolvency,  and  defraud  the  federal 
Government,  the  foreign  and  all  other  creditors  of  their  Rights,  and 
at  the  same  time,  over  spread  the  Country  with  blood.  Rapine,  Plun- 
der, devastation  and  every  misery  and  in  short  exhibit  the  same 
scene  with  all  its  horrors  which  have  lately  been  acted  at  Saint 
Domingo." 


CrC-   t^ 


^7-7 


His  remains  were  buried  in  the  old  church  at  Norfolk. 
After  his  death,  his  children  were  taken  to  North  Carolina  and 
brought  up  in  the  family  of  his  brother,  Waightstill  Avery. 

Children  of  Isaac  and  Margaret  (Stringer)  Avery  b.  in 
Warwick  County,  Virginia : 


651. 
652. 

653. 
654. 


Isaac",  b.  1787. 
i.      Margaret  Stringer',  b.  March  19,  1789. 
ii.     James",  b.  Oct.  25,  1791. 
v.     Elizabeth",  b.  1793. 
V.       Samuel",  d.  in  infancy  before  July  30,  1794. 


250.  Charles^  Avery  (WaitstiW,  SamneP,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Oct.  22, 1731,  at  Groton;  m.  Aug.  28, 1753,  at  Westerly, 
R.  L,  Mary  Thompson.  Austin,  in  his  Vital  Records  of  Rhode 
Island,  gives  the  name  Mary  Thurston  in  one  place  and  Mary 
Thompson  in  another,  but  the  name  was  probably  Mary  Thomp- 
son. Charles  Avery,  minor,  son  of  Waitstill  Avery,  deceased, 
upwards  of  fourteen  years,  chose  Henry  Williams,  Jr.,  to  be  his 
guardian,  June  23,  1746  {New  London  Probate  Journal.  5:42). 


The   Fifth  Generation  239 


Charles''  Avery  was  in  Ebenezer  Billings's  company,  eighth  reg't, 
Col.  Phineas  Lyman,  from  April  to  October,  1756 ;  Serg't  Charles 
Avery  was  in  Benadam  Gallup's  company,  same  reg't,  March  to 
December,  1757;  Ensign  Charles  Avery  was  in  Capt.  Stanton's 
company,  second  reg't.  Col.  Nathan  Whitney,  1758;  Lieutenant 
Charles  Avery  was  in  Capt.  Stanton's  company,  fourth  reg't,  Col. 
David  Wooster,  March  to  November,  1760  (French  and  Indian 
War  Rolls,  1 :107,  190  &  2 :45,  163,  217,  218) . 

Waitstill  Avery  and  Frederick  Avery,  of  Lee,  Mass.,  were 
brothers.  Charles  Avery  was  sealer  of  leather,  Lee,  Mass.,  1781 ; 
of  weights,  1782 ;  Charles  Avery,  Charles  Avery,  Jr.,  and  Fred- 
erick Avery  worked  on  the  meeting-house,  1788 ;  they  were  all  in 
Lee  in  1790.  While  we  believe  the  accompanying  record  to  be,  in 
the  main,  correct,  we  do  not  consider  it  fully  proved. 

Children  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Thompson)  Avery: 


656. 

1, 

Charles'. 

657. 

ii. 

Waitstill". 

658. 

•  •  • 

111. 

Lucy*. 

659. 

iv. 

Esther'. 

660. 

V. 

Frederick". 

661. 

vi. 

Rebecca". 

CHAPTER   IX. 

THE    SIXTH    GENERATION. 

260.  James"  Avery  (James%  James*,  James^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  July  27,  1724,  at  Groton;  m.  Oct.  12,  1749,  at 
Groton,  Lucy  Allyn,  dau.  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary  (Thurber)  Al- 
lyn,  and  granddaughter  of  Robert  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Allyn 
(No.  10) .  She  was  b.  Feb.  14,  1732,  at  Groton ;  d.  Feb.  19,  1752, 
at  Groton.  James  Avery  m.  2d,  May  28,  1752,  at  Groton,  Eliza- 
beth Allyn,  dau.  of  Robert  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Allyn  (No.  75). 
She  was  b.  April  27,  1732,  at  Groton. 

James*'  Avery  marched  from  Groton  to  the  relief  of  Fort 
William  Henry,  in  Capt.  Joseph^Morgan's  company,  Aug.,  1757 
{French  and  Indian  War  Rolls.  1 :197).  He  was  several  times  a 
member  of  the  committee  to  raise  supplies  for  the  use  of  the  sol- 
diers of  the  American  revolution  {Minutes  of  the  Selectmen, 
Groton,  Sept.  8,  1778,  and  June  15,  1779).  He  made  a  will,  Nov. 
16,  1796,  in  which  he  mentioned  wife,  Elizabeth;  sons,  Rufus, 
Caleb,  Eleazar,  and  George  Washington ;  sister,  Hannah  Avery ; 
daughters,  Abigail  Sheffield  and  Eunice  Avery.  He  made  provi- 
sion for  the  payment  of  the  legacies  left  to  his  brothers  and  sis- 
ters by  his  brother,  David,  deceased.  He  d.  Dec.  3,  1796,  at  Gro- 
ton. The  inventory  of  his  estate  was  taken  by  Peter  Avery,  June 
23,  1797.  His  widow,  Elizabeth,  receipted  to  Caleb  Avery,  execu- 
tor, March  24,  1798  {Stonington  Wills,  6:96,  258).  She  made 
her  will,  Nov.  19,  1816.  She  mentioned,  dau.,  Abigail  Haxey; 
sons,  Rufus,  Caleb,  Eleazar,  and  George  Washington ;  grandson, 
James  Avery;  grandsons,  David  and  Asa,  sons  of  son,  Rufus; 
grandson,  Robert  Austin,  son  of  son,  Caleb;  granddaughters, 
Lydia  Walsworth,  Sally  W^illiams,  Eliza  Allyn  Avery,  daus.  of 
son,  Caleb;  Rachel  and  Elizabeth,  daus.  of  son,  Eleazar  {Ston- 
ington Wills,  10 :521) .    She  d.  Feb.  24,  1819,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  James  and  Lucy  (Allyn)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.       Lucy',  b.  July  12,  1750;    d.  Sept.  27,  1752,  at  Groton. 

ii.      Elizabeth',  b.  Feb.  15,  1752;   d.  Feb.  21,  1752,  at  Groton. 


1. 

ii. 

671. 

iii. 

672. 

iv. 

673. 

V. 

674. 

vi. 

vii 

The  Sixth  Generation  241 

Children  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Allyn)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

James',  b.  April  21,  1753;   d.  April  19,  1777,  at  Groton;   unm. 

Elizabeth",  b.  Oct.  19, 1754;  d.  April  12,1792,  at  Groton;  unm. 

Robert',  b.  Jan.  27,  1756. 

Abigail',  b.  July  10,  1757. 

RUFUS',  b.  Nov.  16,  1758. 

Calebs  b.  Feb.  25,  1760. 

Anna',  b.  May  4,  1761;  d.  Sept.  14,  1763,  at  Groton. 
viii.  Lucy',  b.  Nov.  18,  1762;  d.  Sept.  30,  1764,  at  Groton. 
ix.     Freelove',  b;  May  26,  1764;    d.  April  25,  1782,  at  Groton. 

675.  X.      Eunice',  b.  Oct.  3,  1765. 

xi.     David',  b.  April  3,  1767;   d.  May  19,  1790,  at  Groton;   unm. 

676.  xii.    Prudence',  b.  April  12,  1769;   m.  Caleb  Avery  (No.  685). 

677.  xiii.  Eleazar',  b.  May  29,  1771. 

678.  xiv.  George  Washington',  b.  Oct.  9,  1776. 

261.     Elizabeth'^  Avery     (James^,  James*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  13,  1726,  at  Groton;  m.  Joseph  Starr, 
s.  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Morgan)  Starr.    He  was  b.  July  17, 
1713,  at  Groton.     A  piece  of  her  wedding  dress  of  heavy,  blue, 
brocaded  satin  is  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Emma  J.   (Avery) 
Simmons.    He  was  commissioned  captain  of  the  second  company 
of  militia,  Groton,  1766  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  12:464).    He  lived  on 
"Long  Hill  Farm"  that  was  given  to  him  by  his  father.     He  d. 
Oct.  13,  1795.    He  gave  all  his  property,  including  his  negro  ser- 
vants, Phillis,  Betty,  Primus,  Brunetta,  Brister,  and  Zilpah,  to  his 
wife,  excepting  a  few  things,  like  his  sword,  which  he  left  to  other 
friends.     Elizabeth   (Avery)   Starr,  in  her  will,  made  June  14, 
1820,  at  Groton,  mentioned  the  following:   Brother,  John  Averj^; 
nephew,  Caleb  Avery ;   niece,  Polly  Avery,  wife  of  Caleb  Avery ; 
sister,  Hannah  Avery ;  niece,  Abigail  Hauxy ;  Eliza,  dau.  of  niece, 
Polly  Avery;   granddaughter  of  niece,  Polly  Avery,  dau.  of  her 
son,  James,  deceased ;  Sally  Williams,  dau.  of  niece,  Polly  Avery ; 
niece,   Elizabeth  S.  Lester,   and   her  husband,   Nicholas   Street 
Lester ;    nephew,  Aaron  Avery,  son  of  brother  John ;    John  S. 
Avery's  dau.,  Bethiah ;   grand-niece,  Sarah  B.  Williams,  and  her 
husband.  Park  Williams ;   Matilda  Avery,  widow  of  my  nephew, 
James  Avery;    James  Avery  and  Mary  Avery,  children  of  my 
nephew,  James  Avery,  by  hiswife,  Matilda, he  being  deceased ;  each 
of  the  children  that  Matilda,  widow  of  James  Avery,  had  by  her 
late  husband ;  grand-nephew,  Robert  Austin  Avery,  son  of  Caleb 


242  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Avery.  She  called  her  slaves  Brunetta,  Primus,  Alpheus,  Brister, 
and  Netta,  her  friends  and  left  each  one  something.  She  made 
her  beloved  nephew,  Caleb  Avery,  and  her  friend,  Roswell  Bur- 
rows, her  executors.  She  desired  to  be  buried  by  the  side  of  her 
husband  with  a  gravestone  every  way  like  his.  She  left  much 
gold,  silver  and  china  ware;  much  expensive  jewelry,  and  an  ex- 
tensive and  elegant  wardrobe.    She  d.  June  1,  1826,  at  Groton. 

262.  David''  Avery  (James^,  James*,  James^,  James^,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  Feb.  11,  1728,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  24,  1728, 
First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  June  29,  1763,  at  Bozrah,  Lydia 
Lord,  dau.  of  Eleazar  and  Zerviah  Lord.  She  was  bap.  Dec.  2, 
1733,  First  Church  of  Norwich.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first 
Groton  committee  of  inspection,  Dec.  12,  1774 ;  also  on  the  com- 
mittee, 1776  and  1777.  He  was  on  the  committee  to  care  for  the 
families  of  soldiers  and  to  obtain  clothing  for  those  in  the  field, 
1777,  1778  and  1780.  He  was  killed  at  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6, 
1781,  and  was  buried  in  Poquonock  burying-ground. 

In  memory  of 

David  Avery,  Esq. 

who  having  performed  the  endearing 

Offices   of   Friendship   and   Religion 

in  Social  Connection 

And   usefully    and    honorably 

served  the  Public  in  various  Characters 

Nobly  risk'd  his  life  in  defence  of 

Fort   Griswold   &   American    Freedom 

And    fell    a    Victim    to    British    Inhumanity 

Sept.  6,  1781,  in  the  54th 

Year  of  his  Age. 

He  left  no  children.  In  his  will,  made  Sept.  2,  1778,  at  Groton, 
he  mentioned  wife,  Lydia ;  brothers,  James  and  Peter ;  sisters. 
Prudence  and  Hannah ;  nephew,  Ruf us.  October  6,  1781,  Lydia 
Avery  receipted  to  James  Avery  for  four  hundred  pounds  left  her 
by  her  worthy  husband,  David  Avery.  She  m.  2d,  April  25,  1786, 
Jabez  Perkins,  and  d.  without  children,  at  Norwich,  May  17,  1819 
(Perkins'  Genealogy,  p.  42). 

263.  Peter''  Avery  (James^,  James*,  James^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Feb.  22,  1730,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  22,  1730, 
First  Church  of  Groton ;   m.  Mary  Niles,  dau.  of  Nathaniel  and 


The  Sixth   Generation  243 

Mary  (Northrop)  Niles.  She  d.  June  10, 1800, aged 70 years.  Peter 
Avery  m.  2d,  Aug.  28,  1800,  at  Groton,  Hannah  Avery,  widow  of 
William  Avery  (No.  228)  and  dau.  of  Paul  and  Sarah  (Goodrich) 
Woodbridge.  She  had  previously  been  the  widow  of  Samuel 
Walsworth.  Peter  Avery  was  a  missionary  to  the  Indians  in 
western  New  York.  He  was  a  deacon  of  the  Baptist  church  of 
Groton  for  fifty  years.  He  was  surveyor  of  the  town ;  selectman, 
1778  to  1782,  1787,  in  which  period  the  town  passed  many  patri- 
otic measures.  He  was  one  of  the  committee  of  six  who  were 
ordered,  Dec.  22,  1775,  to  direct  the  work  on  Fort  Griswold.  In 
1787,  as  one  of  the  selectmen  of  Groton,  he  petitioned  the  legisla- 
ture for  the  remission  of  a  fine  of  £60,  for  being  short  four  men 
on  the  town's  quota  of  soldiers  in  1781,  for  the  reason  that  it  was 
not  possible,  so  many  being  absent  in  the  service  on  the  seas  and 
in  the  sea-coast  defense,  and  Sept.  6,  1781,  "about  70  men  were 
killed  and  many  wounded  and  carried  away  prisoners."  They 
were  "allowed  only  such  remission  of  the  fine  as  would  come  out  of 
the  sufferers  who  have  had  taxes  abated"  (Conn.  State  Archives, 
and  Allyn's  Battle  of  Groton  Heights,  p.  14).  Peter  Avery  d. 
Dec.  16,  1807,  at  Groton;  his  wife,  Hannah,  d.  April  8,  1831,' 
at  Ledyard.  He  and  wife,  Mary,  are  buried  in  the  Niles  burying- 
ground  at  Groton  Center.  In  his  will,  made  Nov.  29,  1806,  he 
mentioned  wife,  Hannah;  daughter-in-law,  Sally  Avery  (she  was 
the  dau.  of  his  wife  by  her  second  husband,  William  Avery)  ;  his 
sisters,  Elizabeth  Starr,  Prudence  Avery,  and  Hannah  Avery; 
his  brother,  John;  nephews,  Caleb  and  John  J.,  sons  of  Elijah 
Avery,  deceased  (sons  of  his  sister.  Prudence)  ;  nephews,  Peter, 
Jonas,  John  S.,  and  Caleb;  niece,  Elizabeth  {Stonington  Wills, 
6:101).  The  name  of  the  wife  of  Peter  Avery  of  Greenwich, 
whose  record  appears  on  page  50  of  Sweet's  The  Avei^ys  of  Gro- 
ton, was  Rachel.  The  children  there  given  belong  to  Peter  and 
Rachel  Avery  of  Greenwich,  between  whom  and  the  Groton 
Averys  no  connection  has  yet  been  established. 

264.  Prudence'^  Avery  {James^,  James*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  March  16,  1732,  at  Groton;  bap.  April  16, 
1732,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  Dec.  10,  1761,  at  Groton, 
Joseph  Morgan,  son  of  Joseph  and  Dorothy  (Avery)  Morgan 
(No.  69) .    He  was  b.  Jan.  31,  1737-8,  at  Groton ;  d.  before  March 


244        ■         The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

10,  1770-71,  at  which  time  his  widow  married  Elijah  Avery  (No. 
266).  She  was  made  guardian  of  the  minor  children  of  Joseph 
Morgan,  deceased,  Oct.  5,  1773.  She  was  a  matron  of  the  Revo- 
lution. On  old  lists  still  preserved  {American  Monthly  Maga- 
zine, 27  :784)  is  to  be  found  her  name  as  contributing  to  the  sol- 
diers in  the  field  the  fruit  of  her  own  handiwork  in  frocks  and 
stockings. 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Prudence  (Avery)  Morgan,  b.  at 
Groton :  ■ 

i.  Joseph',  b.  Nov.  28,  1762;  m.  Eunice  Perkins;  2d,  Widow  Mary 
Latham,  born  Perkins;    d.  Dec.  1,  1831,  at  Colchester. 

ii.      Isaac",  b.  June  23,  1764;    d.  Jan.,  1782,  at  sea;   unm. 

iii.     Susanna',  b.  July  25,  1766;    m.  Thomas  Allyn. 

iv.  Prudence',  b.  April  16,  1768;  m.  Gilbert  Smith;  2d,  Vine  Stoddard; 
d.  April  9,  1865,  at  Groton. 

265.  John"  Avery  (James^,  James\  James^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Jan.  24,  1738,  at  Groton ;  bap.  April  16,  1738,  First 
Church  of  Groton ;  m.  Sarah  Belton,  dau.  of  Jonas  and  Elizabeth 
(Smith)  Belton.  She  was  b.  June  8,  1743,  at  Groton.  He  was  a 
sergeant  in  the  eighth  Conn,  militia,  in  Capt.  Hubbard  Burrows's 
company  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  451).  He  often  carried  dis- 
patches in  the  Revolutionary  war.  She  d.  Sept.  17,  1825;  he 
d.  Jan,  5,  1826,  both  at  Groton. 

Children  of  John  and  Sarah  (Belton)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

Peter',  b.  May  10,  1764. 

Jonas  Belton',  b.  July  19,  1766. 

Mary',  b.  Dec.  25,  1769;    m.  Caleb  Avery   (No.  674). 

Elizabeth  Starr',  b.  Dec.  31,  1771. 

Aaron',  b.  Dec.  21,  1776;   d.  March  3,  1826,  at  Groton;   unm. 

John  Sands',  b.  Aug.  19,  1782. 

266.  Elijah"  Avery  (John^,  James*,  James^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher')  was  bap.  Sept.  15,  1734,  First  Church  of  Groton*  m. 
March  10,  1770-71,  Mrs.  Prudence  Morgan,  dau.  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Smith)  Avery,  and  widow  of  Joseph  Morgan  (No. 
264) .  He  served  as  an  ensign  in  Capt.  Gallup's  company  of  mili- 
tia, from  Sept.  to  Nov.,  1776 ;  was  captain  in  the  eighth  militia, 
1780  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  452,  561).  His  name  appears 
many  times  on  the  minutes  of  the  town  books.     He  was  one  of 


679. 

1. 

680. 

ii. 

681. 

iii. 

682. 

iv. 

V. 

683. 

vi. 

The  Sixth  Generation  245 


the  committee  of  inspection  in  1776;  one  of  a  committee  that 
enlisted  twenty-seven  men  for  the  army,  April  7,  1777;  select- 
man, 1779 ;  was  on  a  committee  to  raise  the  town's  quota  of  sol- 
diers, March  13,  1780;  was  one  of  the  committee  to  supply  cloth- 
ing for  the  soldiers,  Jan.  16,  1781  (Groton  Town  Records).  He 
w^as  killed  at  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781.  He  left  a  good  landed 
estate,  but  his  personal  property  suffered  severely  from  the  war. 
The  stone  in  the  Avery-Morgan  burying-ground  reads : 

In  memory  of 

Capt.  Elijah  Avery 

who  having  filled  up 

Private  and  Social  life 

with  endearing  expressions 

of  Tenderness  &  affection 

Displayed  a  most  bi-ave  &  heroic  spirit 

In  defence  of  Fort  Griswold 

And  American  Liberty 

&  fell  a  sacrifice  to  british  Barbarity 

Sept.  6,  1781,  in  the  48th 

Year  of  his  Age. 

His  widow  died  Nov.  20,  1809,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Elijah  and  Prudence  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

684.  i.       Eliza',  b.  Dec.  1,  1771. 

685.  ii.      Caleb'. 

686.  iii.     John  J.',  b.  March  17,  1776. 

267.  Amos''  Avery  (John^,  James*,  James^,  James-,  Christo- 
Vher^)  was  bap.  March  6,  1743,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  Pru- 
dence Williams,  dau.  of  George  and  Eunice  (Avery)  Williams 
(No.  72).  She  was  b.  July  25,  1749.  Amos  Avery  marched  on 
the  "Lexington  Alarm"  from  New  London,  under  Capt.  Coit; 
was  in  Capt.  Stoddard's  company,  1776 ;  wounded  at  Fort  Gris- 
wold, Sept.  6,  1781 ;  made  a  prisoner  and  paroled ;  placed  on  the 
invalid  list  soon  after  the  war  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  18,  578, 
648).  David  Avery  (No.  511)  called  him  "Coldwater  Amos." 
His  wife  d.  Oct.  25,  1806,  and  was  buried  in  the  Starr  burying- 
ground  ;  he  was  alive  in  1824. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Prudence  (Williams)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 


687. 

1« 

688. 

ii. 

689. 

iii 

690. 

iv 

691. 

V. 

692. 

vi 

246  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


Amos',  b.  Sept.  14,  1769. 

Aaron',  b.  Sept.  27,  1771. 

Eunice  Williams',  b.  June  20,  1774. 

Prudence',  b.  Sept.  18,  1777;   m.  Caleb  Avery  (No.  1243). 

Elijah',  b.  Sept.  2,  1783. 

Harriet',  b.  Sept.  21,  1792. 


269.  Hannah*^  Avery  (Ebenezer^,  James\  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  10,  1727,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  18,  1746, 
at  Groton,  John  Packer,  son  of  James  and  Abigail  (Avery) 
Packer  (No.  34).  He  was  b.  Sept.  16,  1720,  at  Groton.  She  d., 
according  to  her  tombstone,  Feb.  12,  1771,  in  the  46th  year  of  her 
age.    He  d.  March  4,  1797,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  John  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Packer,  b.  at  Groton : 

i.       Lucretia',  b.  May  23,  1747;   m.  Isaac  Wightman;   d.  April  20,  1819, 

at  Groton. 
ii.      Hannah',  b.  July  26,  1748;   m.  Joseph  Packer;   d.  June  15,  1818. 
iii.     Lucy',  bap.  April  15,  1750,  First  Church  of  Groton;    m.  Nathan 

Gallup, 
iv.     Freelove',  bap.  Oct.  20,  1751,  First  Church  of  Groton;    m.  George 

Gallup. 
V.      John',  m.  Hannah  Gallup;    d.  Feb.  8,  1835. 
vi.     Molly',  d.  Oct.  27,  1825;   unm. 

vii.    Abigail',  m.  Levi  Gallup;    d.  July  11,  1826,  at  Jefferson,  N.  Y. 
viii.  Debby',  d.  of  smallpox,  aged  18. 

ix.     Anne',  d.  of  smallpox,  aged  16,  same  w^eek  as  Debby. 
X.      Ebenezer',  b.  Aug.  1,  1765;   m.  Katurah  Randall;   d.  Sept.  17,  1826. 
xi.     Elizabeth',  m.  Benjamin  Rathbone. 
xii.    Fanny',  b.  Oct.  9,  1769;   m.  Joseph  Burrows. 

270.  Lucy"  Avery  {Ebenezer^,  James*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  27,  1729,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  29, 
1729,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  April  13,  1749,  at  Groton, 
George  Colfax,  s.  of  John  and  Ann  (Latimer)  Colfax.  He  was  b. 
Dec.  5,  1727,  at  New  London.  The  date  of  his  death  is  unknown, 
but  his  widow  gave  bonds  for  the  settlement  of  his  estate,  June 
10,  1776  (New  London  Wills,  H:548). 

Children  of  George  and  Lucy   (Avery)   Colfax,  b.  at  New 

London : 

i.       Sarah',  b.  July  30,  1750. 

ii.      George',  b.  Feb.  9,  1752 ;   m.  Mary  Robbins. 


The  Sixth  Generation  247 

iii.  Ebenezer",  b.  Sept.  15,  1753;  m.  Lucretia  Hempstead;  enlisted 
July  12,  1776,  in  Nath.  Saltonstall's  co. ;  was  midshipman  on  the 
"Oliver  Cromwell,"  1779  (Conn.  Hist.  Soc.  Collections,  8:140, 
264). 

iv.     Lucy',  b.  March  27,  1755. 

V.  William',  b.  July  30,  1756;  m.  Hester  Schuyler;  ensign,  Jan.  1, 
1777;  lieut.,  June  1,  1778;  captain  commandment  of  Washing- 
ton's lifeguards,  1778,  1781-1783  {Comi.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  146, 
299,  347,  360,  368,  373).  He  was  made  major  of  the  third  reg't 
of  New  Jersey  militia,  1793;  lieut.-col.,  1806;  brigade-general, 
detached  militia,  1814;  commanded  brigade  of  consolidated  mili- 
tia and  "sea  fencibles,"  third  military  district,  New  York,  1815 
(Washington's  Body  Guard,  141).  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Order  of  the  Cincinnati.  His  son,  Schuyler  Colfax,  m.  Hannah 
Striker,  and  was  the  father  of  Schuyler  Colfax,  congressman 
and  vice-president  of  the  United  States. 

vi.  Jonathan',  b.  March  12,  1758;  serg't  in  Rev'n,  1777-1780  {Conn. 
Men  in  the  Rev'n,  147).    He  m.  Elizabeth  Wilson. 

vii.    Ann',  b.  April  12,  1760;    m.  Ebenezer  Lester. 

viii.  Robert',  b.  Dec.  26,  1761;  m.  Sarah  Wilson;  2d,  Elizabeth,  widow 
of  his  brother,  Jonathan,  and  sister  of  his  first  wife. 

ix.     John',  b.  Nov.  21,  1763. 

X.      Mary',  b.  Jan.  8,  1766. 

271.  Mary"  Avery  {Ehenezer\James\James\James~,Chris- 
topher')  was  b.  Nov.  30,  1730,  at  Groton;  bap.  Jan.  10,  1731, 
First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  June  8,  1748,  at  Groton,  Youngs 
Ledyard,  s,  of  John  and  Deborah  (Youngs)  Ledyard.  He  was 
b.  at  Groton,  Jan.  25,  1731 ;  traded  extensively  with  the  West 
Indies,  and  died  at  sea,  April  4,  1762.  Benedict  Arnold  was  a 
clerk  to  Youngs  Ledyard  and  much  dissatisfaction  was  expressed 
by  the  family  because  Arnold  did  not  render  a  satisfactory  ac- 
count of  Ledyard's  affairs.  Mary  (Avery)  Ledyard  m.  2d,  Dec. 
12,  1764,  at  Groton,  Stephen  Billings,  s.  of  Increase  and  Hannah 
(Hewett)  Billings,  of  Groton.    She  d.  March  7,  1787,  at  Groton. 

Children   of  Youngs   and   Mary    (Avery)    Ledyard,   b.   at 

Groton : 

i.  Deborah^  b.  May  19,  1749;  m.  Christopher  Morgan,  s.  of  William 
and  Temperance  (Avery)  Morgan  (No.  82),  She  d.  April  22, 
1807,  at  Groton. 


248  The   Groton  Avery  Clan 


ii.  Youngs',  b.  June  24,  1751;  m.  Bridget ;  lieutenant  of  mili- 
tia; killed  at  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781;  his  house  and  its 
contents  were  burned;  he  left  a  wife  and  four  small  children 
(Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'yi,  oil). 

iii.  Benjamin',  b.  March  15,  1753;  m.  Catharine  Forman;  2d,  Ann 
Rhea;  was  captain,  first  reg't  New  York  inf'y,  1775;  major, 
1776;  major,  fourth  New  York  inf'y,  1780;  was  in  the  war 
seven  years ;  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Order  of  the  Cincinnati 
{Neiv  York  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  40,  71,  140,  174,  251,  252,  527). 
He  d.  Nov.  9,  1803,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y. 

iv.  Isaac',  b.  Nov.  5,  1754;  m.  Ann  Mc Arthur;  surgeon  of  the  first 
regiment  of  New  York  inf'y;  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Order  of 
the  Cincinnati  {New  York  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  247) .  He  d.  Aug. 
30,  1803,  at  Staten  Island,  N.  Y. 

V.  Mary',  b.  Sept.  3,  1758;  m.  Gen.  Benjamin  Forman.  He  was  a  cap- 
tain in  the  Revolution,  1776;  lieutenant-colonel,  1783  {Jerseymen 
in  Rev'n,  66) .  She  d.  May  30,  1806.  Their  dau.  Mary,  m.  Henry 
Seymour;  they  were  the  parents  of  Horatio  Seymour,  governor 
of  New  York,  and  a  Democratic  candidate  (1868)  for  the  presi- 
dency of  the  United  States;  their  dau.,  Julia  Catharine,  became 
the  wife  of  U.  S.  Senator  Roscoe  Conkling. 

vi.     William',  b.  March  11,  1760;    d.  Jan.  30,  1761,  at  Groton. 

vii.  Lucy',  b.  July  5,  1761;  m.  Seth  Phelps,  a  Revolutionary  soldier 
{Con7i.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  106,  183,  242,  375).  She  d.  Sept.  10, 
1795. 

viii.  Caleb',  b.  Oct.  18,  1762;    d.  1781,  on  ship  "Trumbull;"   an  ensign. 

Child  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Avery)  Billings,  b.  at  Groton : 
i.       Elizabeth',  b.  Aug.  14,  1766;   m.  Simeon  Avery  (No.  305). 

272.  Ebenezer'''  Avery  (Ebenezer^,  James*,  James^,  James'-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  7.1732-33,  at  Groton;  bap.  March  25, 
1733,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  June  11,  1761,  at  Groton, 
Phebe  Denison,  dau.  of  Daniel  and  Rachel  (Starr)  Denison.  She 
was  b,  Sept.  18,  1743,  at  New  London.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
her  husband's  step-mother.  She  was  descended  from  Elder 
Brewster  of  the  "Mayflower"  through  both  her  father  and  her 
mother.  Ebenezer^  Avery  was  commissioned  ensign,  first  com- 
pany of  Groton,  Oct.,  1760;  lieut.,  1779  {Conn.  State  Rec., 
2  :295) .  He  was  on  the  first  committee  of  inspection  for  Groton, 
1774;  moderator,  1776;  one  of  a  committee  to  collect  clothing 
for  the  soldiers,  1781.  His  gravestone  in  Packer  Rocks  cemetery, 
Groton,  bears  this  inscription : 


The  Sixth   Generation  249 

In  Memory  of  Lieut 

Ebenezer    Avery    who 

fell  Gloriously  in  Defence 

of  fort  Griswold  and 

American  Freedom 

Sept  6th  1781  in  ye  49th 

year  of  his  Age 


693. 

i. 

694. 

11. 

695. 

iii. 

696. 

iv. 

697. 

V. 

698. 

vi. 

Exhibiting  a  noble  Specimen 

of  Military  Valour 

and  Patriotic  Virtue. 

His  widow  m.  2d,  Jonathan  Fish,  and  d.  Dec.  29,  1818,  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Phebe    (Denison)    Avery,  b.  at 

Groton : 

Ebenezer',  b.  Aug.  8,  1762. 
LucY^  b.  April  24,  1766. 
Elizabeth',  b.  Oct.  28,  1768. 
Hezekiah',  b.  July  20,  1772. 
Henry',  b.  Sept.  22,  1776. 
Cyrus',  b.  July  7,  1779. 

273.  Latham*'  Avery  {Ebenezer^,  James*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  April  15,  1735;  bap.  April  20,  1735,  First 
Church  of  Groton;  m.  Jerusha  Avery  (No.  238),  dau.  of  Hum- 
phrey and  Jerusha  (Morgan)  Avery.  She  was  b.  June  7,  1735, 
at  Groton;  bap.  Aug.  31,  1735,  First  Church  of  Groton.  It  is 
probable  that  he  was  in  Capt.  Joseph  Morgan's  company  that 
marched  to  the  relief  of  Fort  William  Henry  in  the  summer  of 
1757  (French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1 :197) .  He  was  one  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  Susquehanna  company.  Latham  Avery  and 
wife  owned  the  covenant  in  the  First  Church  of  Groton,  Sept. 
20,  1763.  She  d.  March  6,  1810;  he  d.  Dec.  31,  1815,  both  at 
Groton,  They  were  buried  in  the  Burrows  burying-ground,  Fort 
Hill. 

Children   of  Latham  and   Jerusha    (Avery)    Avery,   b.   at 

Groton : 

i.       Latham',   bap.    Sept.    20,    1761,    First    Church    of    Groton. 
"Latham  Avery  2d  died  17th  day  9th  month,  1773,  in  his 
13th  year,  the  only  son  of  Latham  and  Jerusha  Avery" 
(Tombstone) . 
699.     ii.      Jerusha',  b.  Oct.  15,  1771. 


250  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

274.  Katharine''  Avery  '  (Ebenezer^,  James*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  June  9,  1737,  at  Groton;  bap.  June  12, 
1737,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  July  1,  1756,  at  Groton,  Daniel 
Denison,  s.  of  Daniel  and  Rachel  (Starr)  Denison.  He  was  b. 
Dec.  16,  1730,  at  Groton.  His  mother,  Rachel  (Starr)  Denison, 
m.  2d,  Ebenezer  Avery,  the  father  of  his  wire,  Katharine. 
Daniel  and  Katharine  (Avery)  Denison  moved  to  Stephentown, 
N.  Y.  He  was  a  farmer;  d.  about  1793;  she  d.  Aug.  1825,  both 
at  Stephentown,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Katharine  (Avery)  Denison : 

i.  Katharine',  b.  July  24,  1757;  m.  Maj.  James  Jones,  of  the  Revolu- 
tion;   d.  March  9,  1851. 

ii.      Daniel',  b.  Sept.  26,  1758;   m.  Hannah  Jones;    d.  July  22,  1832. 

iii.     Ebenezer',  b.  Jan.  26,  1760;  m.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Jones,  born  Spencer. 

iv.  Jonathan',  b.  May  17,  1761;  m.  Sarah  Green;  d.  Sept.  19,  1833,  at 
Berlin,  N.  Y. 

V.      George',  b.  April  12,  1763. 

vi.     Griswold',  b.  Aug.  21,  1765;   m.  Rhoda  Tifft. 

vii.    Asenath',  b.  Feb.  24,  1767;   m.  Roger  Jones. 

viii.  David',  b.  March  19,  1769;   m.  Mrs.  Polly  Williams,  born  Jones. 

ix.     Latham',  b.  March  8,  1771 ;   m.  Elenor  Tifft. 

X.  Samuel',  b.  Aug.  24,  1774,  at  Stephentown,  N.  Y.;  m.  Rhoda 
Crandall;  2d,  Nancy  Burlingame;  d.  Dec.  11,  1849,  at  Floyd, 
N.  Y. 

xi.     Elihu',  b.  April  14,  1777;    m.  Thankful  Stewart. 

xii.    Thomas',  b.  March  6,  1779;   m.  Polly  Crary. 

275.  Griswold '^  Avery  (Ebenezer^,  James*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  15,  1739,  at  Groton;  bap.  Sept.  16, 
1739,  First  Church  of  Groton ;  m.  Anna  Avery  (No.  101) ,  dau.  of 
Benjamin  and  Thankful  (Avery)  Avery.  She  was  b.  Jan.  15, 
1744,  at  Groton  ;  bap.  April  1,  1744,  First  Church  of  Groton.  He 
lived  at  Waterford  on  a  large  farm  called  Alewife  Farm.  He  was 
a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  In  1839,  his  son,  Griswold, 
applied  for  a  pension  and  stated  that,  in  1779  and  1780,  he  served 
as  a  waiter  under  his  father.  Captain  Griswold  Avery,  in  Col. 
Jonathan  Lattimer's  regiment,  and  that,  in  1781,  he  was  with 
his  father.  Captain  Griswold  Avery,  in  Col.  Joseph  Harris's  regi- 
ment. It  is  said  that  Griswold^  Avery  served  on  a  privateer  and 
was  taken  prisoner,  but  we  have  found  no  documentary  proof 
thereof.    He  did  much  to  promote  the  separation  of  Waterford 


700. 

i. 

701. 

ii. 

702. 

iii. 

703. 

iv. 

704. 

V. 

The  Sixth  Generation  251 

from  New  London  in  1801;  was  first  selectman;  was  justice  of 
the  peace  and  representative.  In  his  will,  made  March  18,  1812, 
he  mentioned  the  children  named  below  {New  London  Wills). 
He  d.  Oct.  6,  1812,  at  Waterford  and  was  buried  in  Harbor 
Mouth  cemetery.  His  widow  d.  Oct.  6,  1833,  at  Waterford.  The 
inventory  of  his  estate,  recently  found  in  a  Waterford  garret, 
showed  that  he  died  possessed  of  $11,000,  a  large  sum  for  those 
days. 

Children  of  Griswold  and  Anna  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at  Water- 
ford: 

Griswold',  b.  Sept.  27,  1765. 

Guerdon',  b.  April  24,  1768. 

Anna'. 

Charles'. 

Polly'. 

277.  Rachel''  Avery  {Ehenezer^,  James*,  James%  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Sept.  8,  1745;  bap.  Sept.  8,  1745,  First 
Church  of  Groton;  m.  Sept.  13,  1764,  at  Groton,  Charles  El- 
dridge,  s.  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Starr)  Eldridge.  He  was  b.  Aug. 
28,  1743,  at  Groton.  His  wife  d.  Aug.  31, 1777,  at  Groton ;  he  m. 
2d,  Gloriana  Havens.  He  was  on  the  first  committee  of  corre- 
spondence of  Groton ;  ensign  in  militia ;  wounded  at  Fort  Gris- 
w^old  (Conn.  Men  in  Rev'n,  649).  His  store  and  house  on  Main 
street  were  burned  "when  Arnold  burnt  the  town."  His  tomb- 
stone bears  the  following : 

"Charles  Eldridge  Esq.,  after  great  suffering  from  a  wound  received  at 
Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781,  died  Nov.  20,  1798,  aged  5.5  years." 
Children  of  Charles  and  Rachel    (Avery)    Eldridge,  b.  at 
Groton : 

1.  Charles',  b.  June  7,  1765. 

ii.  Mary',  b.  Sept.  25,  1767;    m.  Ebenezer  Avery  (No.  693). 

iii.  William',  b.  Dec.  14,  1769;   m.  Eliza  Avery  (No.  684). 

iv.  David',  b.  Oct.  23,  1772;   d.  Oct.  14,  1778. 

V.  Rachel',  b.  Aug.  28,  1777;  d.  Sept.  4,  1777,  at  Groton. 

278.  Elihu*^  Avery  {Ebenezer^  James\  James\  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  April  6,  1755,  at  Groton;  bap.  Aug.,  1755, 
First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  Thankful  Avery  (No.  105),  dau.  of 
Benjamin  and  Thankful  (Avery)  Avery.    She  was  bap.  Aug.  1, 


252  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

1755,  First  Church  of  Groton.  He  served  in  Capt.  Abel  Spicer's 
company  of  militia,  1775;  corporal  in  Capt.  Gallup's  militia, 
1776  {Comi.  Me7i  in  the  Rev'n,  78,  452)  ;  was  appointed  "Lieut. 
Fireworker"  in  Major  William  Ledyard's  company  of  matrosses, 
Oct.  3,  1777  (Co7m.  State  Rec,  1 :406) .  He  d.  March  8,  1779,  at 
Groton ;  his  widow  m.  2d,  Ebenezer  Rogers  and  had  a  large  fam- 
ily. February  23,  1796,  his  estate  was  divided  among  his  widow, 
Thankful,  his  son,  Elihu,  and  his  dau.,  "Syntha."  Cynthia  had 
married  Ebenezer  Lester  as  is  shown  by  the  receipts  (Stonington 
Wills,  6:2). 

Children  of  Elihu  and  Thankful  (Avery)  Avery,  probably 
b.  at  Groton : 

705.  i.       Elihu'. 

706.  ii.     Cynthia'. 

279.  Elizabeth"  Avery  {TJieophilus%  Edward^  James^, 
James\  Christopher^)  was  b.  Dec.  22,  1733,  at  North  Parish  of 
Groton  (now  Ledyard)  ;  m.  Sept.  1,  1754,  at  Westerly,  R.  I., 
Benajah  Williams,  s.  of  Benajah  and  the  Widow  Deborah  (Fan- 
ning) WiUiams.  He  was  b.  Sept.  3,  1735,  at  Stonington.  He 
probably  served  as  private  in  Joseph  Morgan's  company  of  mili- 
tia, at  Fort  William  Henry,  1757  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls, 
1:197).    Both  are  mentioned  in  her  father's  will,  1798. 

280.  Deborah"  Avery  {Theophilus%  Edward^  James\ 
James-,  Christojoher^)  was  b.  May  27,  1735,  at  North  Parish  of 
Groton  (now  Ledyard)  ;  m.  April  18,  1753,  at  Stonington,  Ros- 
well  Parke,  s.  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Benjamin)  Parke.  He 
was  bap.  Sept.  26,  1731,  First  Church  of  Preston;  d.  in  1762,  in 
the  expedition  to  Havana.  Deborah  Avery  m.  2d,  Joseph  Brew- 
ster; 3d,  April  8,  1779,  at  Preston,  Silas  Parke,  s.  of  Hezekiah 
and  Margery  (Dyke)  Parke.  He  was  b.  March  10,  1726,  at  Pres- 
ton. Her  father,  in  his  will,  mentioned  grandson,  Benjamin 
Brewster,  who  may  have  been  her  son. 

Children  of  Roswell  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Parke,  b.  at 
Stonington : 

i.       Desire',  b.  June  9,  1754;   m.  David  Edgecombe;    d.  Sept.  6,  1826. 
ii.      Asael',  b.  March  9,  1756;    m.  Prudence  Stanton;    d.  Oct.  29,  1805, 
at  Steuben,  N.  Y. 


The  Sixth  Generation  253 

iii.  Roswell',  b.  July  1,  1758;  m.  Eunice  Starkweather;  2d,  Mrs. 
Sarah  Maynard  Bellows;  3d,  Mabel  Williams;  was  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  1777  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  504)  ;  d.  Nov.  13, 
1847,  at  Preston. 

iv.     CoNTENr,  b.  Feb.  4,  1760;   m,  Benajah  Bill. 

Child  of  Silas  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Parke,  b.  at  Preston: 
i.       Sarah',  b.  Jan.  1,  1780. 

281.  James*'  Avery  {Theophilus^,  Edward\  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Feb.  28,  1737,  at  North  Parish  of  Groton 
(now  Ledyard)  ;  m.  Mary  Comstock,  dau.  of  John  and  Mary 
(Lee)  Comstock.  She  was  b.  April  28,  1743;  according  to  her 
tombstone  in  the  Edward  Avery  burying-ground,  she  d.  Feb,  14, 
1785.  He  m.  2d,  Mrs.  Lydia  Satterlee,  widow  of  Jonas  Satterlee 
and  dau.  of  James  and  Sarah  (Chesebrough)  Geer.  She  was  b. 
Nov.  10,  1742.  She  is  called  the  wife  of  James  Avery  in  the 
division  of  her  father's  estate  in  1787.  James**  Avery  was  on  the 
church  society  committee  in  1766.  He  d.  Feb.  22,  1822;  she  d. 
Sept.  16,  1822,  both  at  Ledyard ;  both  were  buried  in  the  Edward 
Avery  burying-ground. 

Children  of  James  and  Mary  (Comstock)  Avery,  b.  at  North 

Parish  of  Groton,  now  Ledyard : 

i.  John  Lee',  b.  Jan.  7,  1760;  served  in  Capt.  Benajah  LeflBng- 
well's  CO.  from  Norwich,  1777  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
620)  ;   d.  1783;   unm. 

Mary  Elizabeth',  b.  Jan.  2,  1762;  m.  Jacob  Avery  (No.  349). 

Edward',  b.  May  3,  1764. 

Abigail',  b.  March  3,  1767. 

James',  b.  Nov.  19,  1769. 

William  B.',  b.  Sept.  26,  1772;    d.  1792,  at  Demarara;   unm. 

Theophilus',  b.  Nov.  3,  1774. 
viii.  Joshua',  b.  Aug.  10,  1776. 

Polly',  b.  Dec.  19,  1778. 

Sarah',  b.  March  3,  1781. 

Squire',  b.  Sept.  10,  1783 ;    d.  March,  1784,  at  Ledyard. 

282.  Abigail"  Avery  {Theophilus^ ,  Edward*,  James^,  James", 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Oct.  11,  1748,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  25,  1765, 
at  Preston,  Ebenezer  Leonard,  s.  of  Samuel  and  Lydia  (Stanton) 
Leonard.  He  was  b.  July  1,  1741,  at  Preston ;  lived  at  Preston, 
and  at  Worthington,   Mass.     He  marched   on  the   "Lexington 


707. 

11. 

708. 

iii. 

709. 

iv. 

710. 

v. 

vi. 

711. 

vii. 

712. 

viii 

713. 

ix. 

714. 

X. 

XI. 

254  The   Groton  Avery  Clan 

Alarm"  from  Worthington  in  Capt.  Weber's  company  of  minute- 
men,  and  served  to  Nov.,  1775 ;  sergeant,  same  company,  1777 ; 
was  in  battle  of  Stillwater  {Mass.  Soldiers  and  Sailor's  in  the 
Rev'n,  9  :686) .    He  d.  Aug.  19,  1815,  at  Worthington. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Leonard,  b.  at 
Preston : 

i.       Benjamin",  b.  June  11,  1766. 

ii.      Sarah',  b.  March  20,  1768. 

iii.     William',  b.  May  16,  1770;    d.  April  1,  1794,  in  the  West  Indies. 

283.  Sarah*'  Avery  (Theophilus^  Edward*^,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Dec.  2,  1750,  at  North  Parish  of  Groton 
(now  Ledyard)  ;  m.  Jabez  Brewster,  s,  of  Joseph  and  Dorothy 
(Witter)  Brewster.  He  was  b.  March  16,  1747,  at  Preston.  She 
d.  June  13,  1773 ;  he  d.  May  12,  1802,  both  at  Preston. 

Child  of  Jabez  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Brewster,  b.  at  Preston: 

i.        Benajah',  b.  Nov.  19,  1771;    d.  Sept.  20,  1795;    unm. 

284.  Theophilus'^  Avery  {Theophilus^,  Edward*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  June  22,  1753,  at  North  Parish  of 
Groton  (now  Ledyard)  ;  m.  Sabra  Andrews,  dau.  of  Samuel 
Andrews.  He  was  in  Capt.  Lemuel  Lamb's  company,  second 
reg't  of  Conn,  light  horse,  1779-80  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
556).  Mrs.  Sabra  Avery  d.  May  5,  1814,  at  Ledyard;  he  m.  2d, 
Mrs.  Susan  Ripley,  bom  Kelley.  He  d.  Feb.  10,  1839,  at  Led- 
yard. 

Children  of  Theophilus  and  Sabra  (Andrews)  Avery,  b.  at 
Ledyard : 

i.        Samuel',  b.  July  2,  1781;    d.  Oct.  16,  1801,  at  Staten  Island, 
N.  Y.;    unm. 
Cynthia',  b.  June  22,  1784, 
Erastus',  b.  April  22,  1787. 
Ichabod',  b.  May  16,  1789. 
Lydia',  b.  Oct.  15,  1792. 

Lucy',  b.  Oct.  30,  1794;    d.  Dec.  6,  1814,  at  Ledyard;   unm. 
vii.    Peyton  Randolph',  b.  Sept.  12,  1797;    d.  April  25,  1830,  at 
Ledyard;   unm. 
719.     viii.  Frank',  b.  Oct.  18,  1802. 


715. 

11. 

716. 

iii. 

717. 

iv. 

718. 

V. 

vi. 

The  Sixth  Generation  255 


292.  Benajah^'  Avery  {Asa%  Edward\  James^  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Dec.  15,  1743,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  23, 
1773,  Bridget  Monroe,  daii.  of  Hezekiah  and  Bridget  (Cobb) 
Monroe,  of  Stonington.  He  was  serg't  of  militia  in  Capt.  Hub- 
bard Burrows's  company,  1776;  ensign,  1780  {Conn.  Men  in  the 
Rev'n,  451,  629).  She  d.  Jan.  15,  1795,  aged  37  years;  he  d. 
June  26,  1811,  both  at  Ledyard;  both  were  buried  in  the  Edward 
Avery  burying-ground. 

Children  of  Benajah  and  Bridget  (Monroe)  Avery,  probably 
b.  in  the  part  of  Groton  that  now  is  Ledyard : 

729.  i.       Fanny'. 

730.  ii.      Sabra',  b.  Dec.  2,  1777. 

731.  iii.     Bridget',  b.  June  13,  1780. 

iv.     Eunice',  b.  1782;    d.  Feb.,  1861;   unm. 

732.  V.      Polly',  b.  1784. 

vi.     Emily',  b.  1794;    d.  June,  1794,  aged  5  months. 

293.  Zipporah''  Avery  {Aso}',  Edward\  James\  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  May  22,  1746,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  5,  1764, 
at  Groton,  Noah  Bailey,  s.  of  Jedediah  and  Anna  Bailey.  He  was 
b.  June  20,  1743,  at  Groton.    She  d.  Sept.,  1804,  at  Groton. 

294.  Esther"  Avery  {Asa^,  Edward*,  James"-,  James^,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Feb.  4,  1756,  at  Groton;  m.  March  10,  1775,  at 
Stonington,  Nathan  Swan,  s.  of  Timothy  and  Mary  (Smith) 
Swan,  of  Stonington.    He  was  b.  Jan.  23,  1754,  at  Stonington. 

Children  of  Nathan  and  Esther  (Avery)  Swan,  b.  at  Ston- 
ington : 

i.  Avery',  b.  July  21,  1776. 

ii.  Robert',  b.  Oct.  22,  1778. 

iii.  Asa',  b.  Oct.  17,  1780;   m.  Fanny  Wheeler. 

iv.  Oliver',  b.  Dec.  21,  1782;    m.  Phebe  Stewart. 

V.  DiMis',  b.  April  28,  1785. 

295.  Daniel**  Avery  {Asa\  Edward*,  James^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Feb.  25,  1758,  at  Groton;  m.  April  27,  1778,  at 
Preston,  Sybil  Parke,  dau.  of  Moses  and  Sarah  (Brewster) 
Parke.  She  was  b.  July  12,  1755,  at  Preston ;  was  a  descendant 
of  Elder  William  Brewster  of  the  "Mayflower."  She  d.  March 
24,  1811,  and  was  buried  in  the  Edward  Avery  burying-ground. 


256  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

He  m.  2d,  June  4,  1812,  at  Preston,  Mrs.  Deborah  Starkweather, 

born  Brewster,  widow  of  Richard  Starkweather.  Daniel  Avery 
was  major  in  tlie  Connecticut  state  troops.  He  d.  Dec.  1,  1822, 
at  Ledyard ;  was  buried  with  his  sons,  Moses  and  Edward,  in  the 
Edward  Avery  burying-ground.  His  widow  d.  Nov.  22,  1823,  at 
Preston. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Sybil  (Parke)  Avery,  b.  in  the  part 
of  Groton  that  now  is  Ledyard : 

i.       Moses',  b.  Aug.  17,  1779;    d.  Dec.  13,  1799,  at  sea. 

733.  ii.      Prentice',  b.  July  19,  1781. 

iii.     Lucretia',  b.  July  18,  1784;    d.  June  4,  1786,  at  Ledyard. 

734.  iv.     Anson',  b.  Feb.  4,  1786. 

V.  Edward',  b.  Oct.  27,  1789;  apprentice  to  Capt.  Joshua  Avery, 
carpenter;  drowned  while  skating,  January  13,  1807 
(David  Avery  vis.). 

735.  vi.     Parke',  b.  April  7,  1791;    in  the  militia,  1812;    probably  d, 

unm. 

736.  vii.     Daniel',  b.  Sept.  25,  1793;    d.  Oct.  17,  1825;   probably  unm. 

737.  viii.  Asa',  b.  Oct.  31,  1797;    d.  Oct.  27,  1848;   probably  unm. 

738.  ix.     Moses',  b.  Nov.  19,  1799. 

296.  Mary''  Avery  (Asa',  Echvard*,  James^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  April  6,  1760,  at  Groton ;  m.  April  17,  1783,  at 
Groton,  Timothy  Wightman,  of  East  Lyme. 

Children  of  Timothy  and  Mary  (Avery)  Wightman: 

i.       Asa',  b.  Jan.  19,  1784;   m.  Mercy  Smith;   was  a  merchant  and  capt. 

of  a  coasting  vessel;    d.  May  9,  1836,  at  Waterford. 
ii.      Samuel',  b.  Nov.  17,  1785. 
iii.     Polly',  b.  Sept.  16,  1788. 
iv.     Amy',  b.  Feb.  26,  1795;    m.  Turner  M.  Smith;    d.  June  30,  1863,  at 

Berlin  Heights,  Ohio. 
V.      Timothy',  b.  July  20,  1799;   m.  Harriet  Smith. 

297.  David  "^  Avery  (Asa%  Edward*,  James"^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  Sept.  5,  1762,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  12,  1783,  at 
Preston,  Hannah  Avery,  dau.  of  Christopher  and  Eunice  (Pren- 
tice) Avery  (No.  339).  She  was  b.  June  20,  1763,  at  Preston. 
David  Avery  was  on  the  Preston  school  committee  many  times. 
He  removed  to  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  about  1800.  His  wife  d.  Feb. 
4,  1814,  at  Patterson,  N.  Y.;  he  d.  May  11,  1823. 


The  Sixth  Generation  257 

Children  of  David  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Avery,  probably  all 

b.  at  Preston : 

739.  i.  Oliver',  b.  Sept.  29,  1784, 

740.  ii.  AsA',  b.  Jan.  21,  1786. 

741.  iii.  Sophia',  b.  Nov.  2,  1788. 

742.  iv.  Alfred',  b.  P^eb.  2,  1791. 

743.  v.  Austin',  b.  Dec.  1,  1794. 

744.  vi.  Shubael',  b.  Oct.  26,  1797;  d.  Aug.  2,  1870. 

298.  Abigail''  Avery  (Parked  Ebenezer\  James^,  James^, 
Christopher')  was  bap.  May  15,  1737,  First  Church  of  Groton; 
m.  Robert  Niles,  son  of  Nathan  and  Mary  (Northrop)  Niles. 
He  was  b.  Sept.  2,  1734,  at  Groton.  He  served  in  the  campaign 
ag-ainst  the  French  and  Indians  in  1757,  in  Capt.  Gallup's  com- 
pany. Col.  Lyman's  reg't  {French  and  Indian  War  Rolls,  1:190). 
During  the  Revolutionary  M^ar,  he  was  a  famous  privateer,  cap- 
tain and  commander  of  the  sloops,  "Spy"  and  "Dolphin."     In 

1778,  as  captain  of  the  "Spy,"  he  skillfully  avoided  the  British 
vessels  that  were  watching  for  him  and  made  the  passage  of  the 
Atlantic  in  the  shortest  time  then  known.  He  bore  the  news 
that  the  American  congress  had  ratified  the  treaty  with  France, 
the  only  treaty  of  alliance  ever  made  by  the  United  States.  On 
the  minutes  of  the  Connecticut  council  of  safety  for  July  20, 

1779,  it  is  recorded: 

"Capt.  Niles  came  in,  having  arriv'd  home  last  Saturday  after  having 
been  twice  captured  &c. — gave  an  account  of  his  voyage  &c. — arrived 
at  Paris  in  27  days  after  he  sail'd,  which  was  beginning  June,  1778, 
and  delivered  his  mail  to  Dr.  Franklin,  containing  the  ratification  by 
Congress  of  the  Treaty  with  France,  being  the  first  account  he  had 
received  of  that  event,  which  was  greatly  satisfactory  to  him  and  the 
French  ministry  and  nation  in  general  &c."     (See  Conn.  Men  in  the 
Rev'n,  593  &  State  Records  of  Conn.,  vols.  1  and  2). 
His  wife  d.  Feb.  18,  1790.    He  was  twice  married  after  the  death 
of  his  wife,  Abigail.    He  and  his  three  wives  are  buried  at  Nor- 
wich.   His  tombstone  reads  as  follows : 

Capt.  Robert  Niles 

A  patriot  who  commanded  the  Spy 

during  the  Revolutionary  war 

He  carried  the  treaty  to  France 

and  delivered  it  to  Benjamin  Franklin. 

Capt.    Niles   served   his   Country  faithfully 

&  died  a  Christian 

in  the  year  1818,  aged  83  years. 


258  The   Groton  Avery   Clan 

299.  Dorothy"  Avery  {Parke^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James-, 
Christovher^)  was  bap.  Aug.  26,  1739,  First  Church  of  Groton; 
m.  Sept.  11,  1759,  at  L.roton,  John  Morgan,  s,  of  James  and  Mary 
(Morgan)  Morgan.  He  was  bap.  July  11,  1736,  First  Church  of 
Groton.  He  d.  Nov.  8,  1799,  at  Groton ;  she  d.  Oct.  19,  1828,  at 
Groton ;  both  were  buried  in  the  Avery-Morgan  burying-ground. 

Children  of  John  and  Dorothy  (Avery)  Morgan,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

i.       John',  b.  March  28,  1761;   d.  April  17,  1840,  at  Groton;   unm. 

ii.      Hannah',  b.  Sept.  5,  1764;   m.  Ebenezer  Avery  (No.  693). 

iii.     David',  b.  April  14,  1766;   d.  June  10,  1805,  at  Groton;   unm. 

iv.     Stephen',  b.  Nov.  19,  1768;    m.  Sally  Barber,  who  m.  2d,  Elias 

Avery  (No.  395)  ;    d.  June  6,  1797,  at  Groton. 
V.      Abigail',  b.  Oct.  26,  1771 ;   m.  Elisha  Morgan;    d.  April  22,  1796,  at 

Groton. 
vi.     Amos',  b.  Oct.  13,  1774;   m.  Jemima  Stoddard;    d.  July  19,  1845,  at 

Groton. 
vii.    Experience',  b.  May  13,  1778;  m.  Elisha  Stoddard;  d.  May  11, 1819. 
viii.  Jasper',  b.  Jan.,  1784;    m.  Clarissa  Holdridge. 

300.  Parke''  Avery  (Parke^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James", 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  22,  1741,  at  Groton;  bap.  May  3, 
1741,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m.  Hannah  Morgan,  dau.  of 
James  and  Mary  (Morgan)  Morgan.  She  was  bap.  Aug.  13, 
1738,  First  Church  of  Groton.  James  Morgan  of  Groton,  Sept. 
10,  1770,  left  "all  of  the  rest  of  my  movable  estate"  to  "my  two 
daughters,  Mary  Perkins  and  Hannah  Avery"  (Stonington  Wills, 
1:215).  She  had  a  "Mayflower"  ancestry  through  her  mother, 
a  descendant  of  Ruth  Brewster,  who  m.  John  Picket. 

Parke*'  Avery  served  as  second  lieutenant  in  Abel  Spicer's 
company.  Col.  Selden's  reg't,  1776 ;  in  Capt.  Wheeler's  company, 
1778;  was  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Griswold  {Conn.  Men  in  the 
Rev%  403,  533,  578,  648).  When  Lieut.  Parke  Avery  entered 
Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781,  he  took  with  him  his  eldest  son, 
Thomas,  still  in  his  "teens,"  who  in  the  engagement  fell  dead  at 
his  side.  He  himself  was  severely  wounded  by  a  bayonet  thrust 
that  took  out  an  eye,  broke  the  eyebrow,  and  made  a  cavity  in  the 
forehead ;  he  was  left  among  those  slain  by  the  enemy.  When, 
after  the  massacre,  they  were  carrying  him  out  of  the  fort,  his 
abrupt  command,   "Keep  step,  boys,  keep  step;    damn  it,  you 


The  Sixth  Generation 


259 


< 

B 
O 

a 

> 
< 

m 
w 
>< 


260  The  Groton  Avery  Clan  I 

shake  me,"  was  very  startling  coming  as  it  did  from  a  supposed 
corpse.  He  finally  recovered  and  lived  forty  years  more.  He 
received  a  pension  and  gave  it  to  an  aged  aunt,  Thankful  Avery.. 
When  President  Monroe,  himself  a  colonel  in  the  war,  visited 
Fort  Griswold  in  1817,  he  received  the  survivors  of  the  battle  in- 
side the  ramparts  and  gave  them  a  cordial  welcome.  Parke 
Avery  and  his  brother,  Ebenezer,  were  there.  In  honor  of  his 
boy  who  had  died  at  his  side  in  the  battle,  Lieutenant  Avery 
changed  the  name  of  his  youngest  son  from  Silas  Deane  to 
Thomas,  that  the  name  might  be  continued  in  the  family. 

February  2,  1779,  Parke  Avery  and  Parke  Avery,  jun.,  were 
members  of  a  committee  to  "attend  to  the  business"  of  inocula- 
tion for  Groton.  Parke**  Avery  was  constable  and  surveyor,  1779 ; 
he  was  one  of  a  committee  to  purchase  grain  for  the  soldiers, 
1781;  he  was  selectman  several  terms  (Groton  Selectmen's  Min- 
utes) .  Before  the  Revolutionary  war,  he  resided  on  the  farm 
given  him  by  his  father  on  the  old  turnpike  road  to  Mystic,  near 
the  ancient  grist-mill.  A  few  years  after  the  war  he  moved  to 
the  old  Avery  mansion  on  Birch  Plains,  at  the  head  of  Poquonock 
Cove,  which  had  been  occupied  by  his  ancestors  for  five  genera- 
tions. He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and  of 
genuine  wit  and  humor.  When  the  British  fleet  bombarded  Ston- 
ington  Point  in  1814,  it  was  almost  impossible  to  keep  the  old 
man  at  home.  He  knew  that  the  British  would  be  defeated  and 
he  wished  to  see  it  done.  The  sword  that  he  used  at  Fort  Gris- 
wold is  in  the  possession  of  a  descendant.  His  wife  d.  Sept. 
26,  1798 ;  he  died  Dec.  20,  1821,  both  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Parke  and  Hannah  (Morgan)  Avery,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

Thomas',  b.  about  1765 ;   killed  at  Fort  Griswold. 
Youngs',  b.  April  2,  1767. 

Hannah',  b.  Sept.  9,  1770;   m.  Peter  Avery  (No.  679). 
Thomas',  b.  Dec.  27,  1778;   first  named  Silas  Deane. 

301.     Jasper"    Avery     (Parke^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James"^,. 
Christopher^)  was  bap.  Oct.  21,  1744,  First  Church  of  Preston; 
m.  Elizabeth  Smith,    dau.  of  Nathan  and  Elizabeth   (Denison) 
Smith.    She  was  bap.  Oct.  6,  1751,  First  Church  of  Groton.    He 
lived  near  High  Rock,  on  a  farm  that  his  father  had  given  him 


1. 

745. 

ii. 

746. 

iii. 

747. 

iv. 

The  Sixth  Generation  261 

southwest  of  the  old  Avery  house  on  Birch  Plains.  He  was  killed 
at  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781.  His  widow  m.  his  brother, 
Ebenezer  Avery  (No.  302) .  It  is  difficult  to  determine  the  names 
of  the  children  of  Jasper  Avery.  May  21,  1787,  Stephen  Avery 
(No.  304)  receipted  to  Mr.  Parke  Avery  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Avery,  executors  of  the  estate  of  Jasper  Avery,  as  the  guardians 
of  Betsey  [Elizabeth]  Avery,  dau.  of  Jasper  Avery.  Ebenezer 
Avery  (No.  302)  receipted,  as  the  guardian  of  Sally,  Jasper, 
Frederick,  Polly  [Mary],  and  Cyrus,  children  of  Jasper  Avery 
(Stonington  Wills,  5 :224) .  Cyrus  is  called  the  oldest  child. 
Children  of  Jasper  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Avery: 


748. 

1. 

Cyrus',  b.  Nov.  15,  1768. 

749. 

ii. 

Mary'. 

750. 

iii. 

Elizabeth',  b.  Oct.  16,  1772 

751. 

iv. 

Jasper'. 

752. 

V. 

Sally'. 

753. 

vi. 

Frederick'. 

302.  Ebenezer"  Avery  {Parke'%  Ebenezer^,  James^,  James'-, 
Christopher^)  was  bap.  Aug.  17,  1746,  First  Church  of  Preston; 
m.  August  17,  1768,  Elizabeth  Green,  dau.  of  John  Green  of  New 
London  (David  Avery  ms.).  She  was  b.  Sept.  16,  1749;  d.  Oct. 
31,1784.  Ebenezer  Avery  m.  2d,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Avery, 
the  widow  of  his  brother  Jasper.  She  d.  Oct.  2,  1789,  aged  39 
years.  He  m.  3d,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Latham,  widow  of  Giles  Latham 
and  dau.  of  John  and  Deborah  (Ledyard)  Coleman.  August  19, 
1791,  Ebenezer  Avery  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  of  Groton,  dau. 
and  heir  of  Deborah  Coleman,  late  of  Hartford,  deceased,  in  con- 
sideration of  £12.  15s.,  deeded  to  the  Rev.  Aaron  Kinne  of  Groton 

"The  whole  of  Our  Right  in  One  third  Part  in  Quantity  and  Quality  of  a 
Certain  lot  or  tract  of  Land,  being  Part  of  the  Real  Estate  of  John 
Ledyard,  Esq.,  late  of  Hartford  Deed  &  laid  out  to  the  heirs  of 
Deborah  Coleman  aforesaid  as  Daughter  &  heir  of  John  Ledyard 
aforesaid,  lying  in  Groton  aforesaid  &  Scituate  at  a  Place  called 
Long  Hill.  .  .  .  Containing  about  Twenty  Acres"  {Groton 
Deeds,  11:212). 

She  d.  Jan.  21,  1797,  at  Groton.  The  graves  of  these  three  wives 
are  in  the  Ledyard  burying-ground  in  Groton,  near  that  of  Eben- 
ezer Avery.  He  m.  4th,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Elderkin,  widow  of  John 
Elderkin  {David  Avery  ms.) .    She  outlived  her  husband. 


262 


The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


a 
o 

X 

>' 
e: 
u 
> 

a 
z 

K 

CO 
K 

H 
S 


The  Sixth  Generation  263 

Ebenezer^'  Avery  was  ensign  of  the  first  Groton  company  of 
militia  (Conn.  Me7i  in  the  Rev'n,  578) .  He  lived  in  the  house  on 
the  ferry  bank  at  the  corner  of  Thames  and  Latham  Streets,  built 
for  him  by  his  father.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  Fort  Gris- 
wold  fight ;  he  was  severely  wounded  and  left  among  the  slain. 
He  lived  many  years  and  worked  at  his  trade  (that  of  tailor)  in 
a  room  in  his  own  dwelling-house.  To  this  house,  at  the  foot  of 
Groton  Heights,  the  wounded  were  taken  after  the  battle ;  there 
many  of  the  dead  and  dying  were  identified  by  their  relatives  and 
friends.  It  is  said  that  the  blood-stains  on  the  floors  were  to  be 
seen  for  years.  The  house  now  bears  a  commemorative  tablet 
placed  by  the  Children  of  the  American  Revolution.  Ebenezer 
Avery  died  Jan.  10,  1828,  at  Groton,  and  was  buried  in  the  Led- 
yard  burying-ground.  He  was  a  pensioner  of  the  Revolutionary 
war. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Elizabeth  (Green)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

754.  i.  Elizabeth',  bap.  July  16,  1769,  First  Church  of  Groton. 

755.  ii.  Ebenezer',  b.  March  4,  1771. 

756.  iii.  Lydia',  b.  April  4,  1773;    m.  Daniel  Avery  (No.  394). 
iv.  John  Green',  d.  Sept.  22,  1777,  at  Groton. 

757.  V.  Elisha'.     In  his  record  of  the  Groton  Averys,  Mr.  Sweet  here 

enters  the  name  of  a  son,  Elisha,  but  careful  investiga- 
tion and  the  discovery  of  new  data  have  established  the 
fact  that  the  assignment  is  erroneous.  There  was  an 
Elisha;  we  have  been  in  correspondence  with  his  de- 
scendants, but  have  not  yet  established  their  connection 
with  the  Groton  Averys. 

Child  of  Ebenezer  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Avery,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton : 

758.  i.       Frances',  b.  Aug.  4,  1787. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Elizabeth  (Coleman)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

759.  i.      John  Coleman',  b.  May  18,  1792. 

ii.      Orlando',  d.  Sept.  18,  1821,  at  Groton,  aged  25;    unm. 

303.  Eunice-  Avery  {Parks'^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  M^as  bap.  Nov.  13,  1748,  First  Church  of  Groton; 
m.  Solomon  Morgan,  s.  of  Solomon  and  Mary  (Walsworth)  Mor- 
gan. He  was  b.  Feb.  4,  1745,  at  Groton.  He  was  a  minister; 
was  settled  over  Nazareth  Church  at  Voluntown  in  April,  1772 ; 


264  The  Groton  Avery   Clan 


in  September,  1783,  he  was  settled  over  the  church  at  Canter- 
bury. His  wife  d.  May  2,  1793,  probably  at  Canterbury.  He  is 
said  to  have  gone  to  North  Canaan  in  1798,  where  he  d.  Sept.  3, 
1804.  In  1784,  he  delivered  at  Groton,  one  of  the  first  of  the 
series  of  Fort  Griswold  anniversary  sermons.  He  m.  2d,  the 
Widow  Haskell.  In  his  will,  he  mentioned  the  children  named 
below,  except  Lucy  who  was  not  living. 

Children  of  Solomon  and  Eunice  (Avery)  Morgan  : 

i.       Solomon',  b.  abt.  1772;    at  Yale  College,  1791;    d.  unm. 
ii.      Parke',  b.  Aug.  13,  1774,  at  Voluntown  {Voluntown  Rec). 
iii.     William',  b.  June  15,  1777,  at  Voluntown  {Voluntown  Rec). 
iv.     Lucy',  b.  Dec.  6,  1778,  at  Voluntown   {Voluntown  Rec.) ;    d. 

Dec.  10,  1796,  at  Plainfield. 
V.      Heman'. 

vi.     Elisha',  b.  June  7,  1782,  at  Plainfield  {Plainfield  Rec). 
vii.    Eunice'. 
viii.  Mary'. 
ix.    Nancy'. 

304.  Stephen"  Avery  {Parke^,  Ebenezer\  James\  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  May  10,  1751,  at  Groton;  m.  Mary  Deni- 
son,  dau.  of  John  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Denison  (No.  176).  She 
d.  Feb.  27,  1815,  at  Groton.  He  m.  2d,  April  26,  1818,  Fanny 
Barnes.  She  was  b.  Sept.  16,  1791.  He  d.  June  15,  1827,  at  Gro- 
ton. She  d.  Sept.  16,  1874,  at  Groton.  The  Hon.  Richard  Anson 
Wheeler  of  Stonington  was  authority  for  the  statement  that  the 
Stephen  Avery  who  m.  Mary  Denison  and  the  Stephen  Avery 
who  m.  Fanny  Barnes  was  one  and  the  same  person.  In  spite  of 
the  high  authority,  we  doubt  the  above  record  and  think  that  two 
Stephens  have  been  united  as  one.  Was  not  the  Stephen  who  m. 
Fanny  Barnes,  s.  of  the  one  who  m.  Mary  Denison  ? 

Children  of  Stephen  and  Fanny  (Barnes)  Avery,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

i.       Mary',  b.  Feb.  19,  1819;    d.  Aug.  23,  1825,  at  Groton. 
760.     ii.      Eliza',  b.  March  23,  1721. 

iii.     Stephen',  b.  Feb.  8,  1827;    d.  April  18,  1827,  at  Groton. 

305.  Simeon*'  Avery  {Parke'%  Ebenezer*,  James',  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Oct.  20,  1753,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb.  25,  1777, 
at  Groton,  Lucy  Swan,  dau.  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Smith) 
Swan.    She  was  b.  March  10,  1760,  at  Stonington  and  d.  June  28, 


The  Sixth  Generation  265 

1794,  at  Groton.  He  m.  2d,  Feb.  12,  1795,  at  Groton,  Elizabeth 
Billings,  dau.  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Avery)  Billings  (No.  271). 
She  was  b.  Aug.  14,  1766,  at  Groton. 

Simeon  Avery  enlisted  in  the  first  regiment  of  Conn,  line, 
as  ensign,  Jan,  1,  1777  ;  was  second  lieutenant,  Jan.  1,  1778 ;  first 
lieutenant,  Nov.  15,  1778;  later  became  adjutant  and  continued 
as  such  until  1781.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  White  Plains,  Ger- 
mantown,  Monmouth,  and  Stony  Point  and  endured  the  hard- 
ships of  Valley  Forge.  The  following  letters  are  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Miss  Annie  M.  Avery,  a  descendant : 

Valley  Forge,  23rd  March,  1778. 

Dear  Wife, 

I  have  one  opportunity  more  to  wright  a  few  lines  which  I 
gladly  imbrace  to  inform  you  that  I  still  enjoy  a  comfortable  state 
of  health,  which  we  have  need  to  thank  God  for,  and  desire  these 
lines  may  find  you  injoying  the  same  blessing  and  our  child  with 
you. 

I  have  nothing  strange  to  inform  you  of  at  present,  the  Committee  is 
now  setting  in  order  to  regulate  affairs,  which  I  suppose  will  soon 
be  settled,  as  there  is  a  number  of  officers  more  than  will  be  needed 
and  I  suppose  there  will  be  some  of  us  will  be  discharged,  and  I 
suppose,  or  intend,  to  be  one  of  them.  So  might  conclude  with  my 
best  love  to  you  and  love  to  all  Brothers  and  Sisters  and  all  friends, 
and  desire  these  lines  leave  me  so  I  desire  they  may  find  my  loving 
Wife,  this  is  the  true  desire  of  your  Loving  Husband  and  friend — 

Simeon  Avery. 

P.  S.    Remember  me  to  your  Grandfather  and  G.  mother  and  all  friends. 
Give  my  compliments  to  Mr.  Edgecombe  and  tell  him  that  Gilbert  is 

well  and  hartyer  than  ever  I  saw  him  in  my  life. 
I  desire  you  would  write  the  first  opportunity  and  you  will  oblige  your 

Humble  Servant.  S.  A. 

Orangetown,  August  19,  1780. 

Dear  Partner, 

1  acknowledge  receipt  to  your  letter  by  Mr.  Billings.  Should  have  an- 
swered it  before  had  I  an  opportunity  of  Convenience,  which  I  am 
sensible  you  are  confident  of,  as  My  greatest  happiness  consists  in 
your  welfare. 

I  have  nothing  but  the  old  subject  to  write  upon,  just  to  inform  you  that 
I  have  enjoyed  my  health  perfectly  since  I  left  You,  except  acquaint- 
ing you  with  my  circvimstances  and  repeating  to  you  my  necessities, 
which  I  am  sensible  it  is  not  in  your  power  to  relieve,  and  which  I 
do  not  wish  you  to  be  troubled  with. 


266 


The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


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The  Sixth  Generation  267 

I  wrote  to  Dadd  a  few  days  ago  asking  him  to  help  me  to  Lining  for 
Vest  and  Breeches,  which  I  am  entirely  destitute  of.  If  he  has  pro- 
cured any  I  think  he  may  have  an  opportunity  to  send  it  by  Capt. 
Richards,  who  will  return  in  a  short  time. 

I  am  very  uneasy  when  I  reflect  upon  your  Circumstances,  thinking  you 
might  have  stood  in  need  of  assistance,  but  it  has  not  been  in  my 
power  to  relieve  your  wants,  as  I  have  not  drawn  wages  since  I  re- 
turned to  Camp. 

I  have  only  just  time  to  Confirm  my  sincerity  by  subscribing  myself 
your  Sincere  friend  and  Affectionate  Husband, 

Sim'n  Avery. 

Mrs.  Lucy  Avery. 

Please  write  the  first  opportunity. 

Duty  to  Dadd  and  Mamme,  Compliments  to  all  friends  Your  Grand- 
father and  Mamme  in  particular.  I  had  intended  to  have  been  at 
home  before  this  but  been  disappointed,  think  I  shall  not  till  next 
Winter.  S.  Avery. 

Simeon  Avery  was  an  important  citizen  of  Groton  in  times 
of  peace.  He  was  selectman  and  member  of  the  school  commit- 
tee. He  became  colonel  of  militia  and  was  known  as  CoL  Simeon 
Avery  and  is  so  recorded  on  his  tombstone.  April  20,  1778,  he 
received  permission  to  free  his  slave,  Joseph,  aged  25;  who  was 
"able  bodied  and  industrious  and  not  likely  to  become  a  charge  on 
the  town."  He  d.  Aug.  1,  1796 ;  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  d.  Oct.  31, 
1805.  He  and  both  his  wives  are  buried  in  the  Avery-Morgan 
burying-ground. 

Children  of  Simeon  and  Lucy  (Swan)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 
i.       Lucy',  b.  Jan.  20,  1778;    d.  July  16,  1791,  at  Groton. 

761.  ii.      Elisha\  b.  Dec.  11,  1780. 

iii.     Stephen',  b.  Nov.  13,  1783;    d.  Aug.  21,  1798,  at  Groton. 

762.  iv.     Robert  Niles',  b.  Sept.  1,  1785. 

763.  V.     Joseph  Swan',  b.  Oct.,  1787. 

764.  vi.     Frederick  Allyn',  b.  March  5,  1789. 

765.  vii.    Mary',  b.  Dec.  22,  1790. 

766.  viii.  Lucy',  b.  Sept.  12,  1792;    m.  John  Parke  Avery  (No.  1694). 

According  to  Mr.  Sweet's  The  Averys  of  Groton,  she  m. 
2d,  John  O.  Miner  of  Groton.  We  are  unable  to  prove 
this  or  to  ascertain  which  John  O.  Miner  is  meant. 

767.  ix.     Simeon',  b.  March  22,  1794;    d.  Nov.  10,  1825,  at  Groton. 

Child  of  Simeon  and  Elizabeth  (Billings)  Avery,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

768.  i.       Martha  Billings',  b.  March  17,  1796. 


268  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

306.  Margaret"  Avery  {Ebefiezer^,  Ebenezei'*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  April  15,  1748,  at  Preston;  bap. 
May  6,  1748,  First  Church  of  Preston;  m.  March  19,  1767,  at 
Preston,  Elisha  Parke,  s.  of  Paul  and  Sarah  (Smith)  Parke.  He 
was  b.  Oct.  2,  1746.  at  Preston.  She  d.  Jan.  22,  1770;  he  m.  2d, 
Hannah  Belton.    He  d.  July  5,  1812,  at  Preston. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Margaret  (Avery)  Parke,  b.  at  Pres- 
ton: 

i.       Lucy',  b.  Feb.  18,  1768;    m.  Richard  Fanning;    d.  Sept.  19, 

1793,  at  Preston  Plains, 
ii.      Ephraim',  b.  Jan.  14,  1770;   m.  Sybil  Kimball;   2d,  Elizabeth 
Davids;   d.  Sept.  15,  1816,  in  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y. 

307.  Dorothy"  Avery  (Ebenezer^,  Ebenezer*,  James^, 
James'-,  Christophr^)  was  b.  Sept.  13,  1750,  at  Preston;  bap.  Oct. 
28,  1750,  First  Church  of  Preston ;  m. Powers. 

308.  Amy*'  Avery  {Ebenezer'%  Ebenezer*,  James%  James'-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Sept.  22,  1754,  at  Preston;  bap.  Oct.  29, 
1754,  First  Church  of  Preston;  m.  Sept.  6,  1775,  at  Preston, 
Nathaniel  Stanton,  s.  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  (Coit)  Stanton. 
He  served  on  the  galley  "Shark"  under  his  brother,  Capt.  Theo- 
philus  Stanton,  in  1776,  and  on  the  ship  "Oliver  Trumbull"  in 
1779  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  594  &  Rev.  Rolls.  262).  The 
"Shark"  was  probably  captured,  as  Nathaniel  Stanton  was  made 
prisoner  and  was  kept  two  years  in  Canada.  After  the  war,  he 
was  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel  and,  in  1785,  was  lost  at  sea  in 
a  hurricane  in  the  West  Indies.  She  m.  2d,  March  20,  1794,  at 
Preston,  Ezra  Benjamin     She  d.  Sept.,  1838,  at  Preston. 

Children  of  Nathaniel  and  Amy  (Avery)  Stanton,  b.  at 
Preston : 

i.       AvERr,  b.   1776;    d.   1794. 

ii.      Theophilus',  b.  1778;    d.  1790. 

iii.     Nathaniel',  b.  1780;    died  in  infancy. 

iv.  Martha',  b.  Aug.,  1783;  ni.  David  Frink;  2d,  Timothy  Avery 
of  Spencer.  His  parentage  is  not  known,  but  it  is  said 
that  he  was  a  distant  cousin.  They  had  one  child,  Har- 
riet, who  m.  Benjamin  Lott  of  Spencer. 

V.  Hannah',  b.  March  11,  1786;  m.  April  28,  1808,  Daniel  Bald- 
win; d.  Mai-ch  19,  1877.  Their  son,  John  Denison  Bald- 
win, was  b.  Sept.  28,  1809,  at  North  Stonington;    was  of 


The  Sixth  Generation  269 

Yale  College;  New  Haven  Theological  Seminary;  pastor 
of  Congregational  church,  at  Woodstock;  at  North  Bran- 
ford;  at  Killingly;  editor  of  the  "Republican"  at  Hart- 
ford; editor  and  part  owner  of  the  "Daily  and  Weekly 
Commonwealth,"  Boston;  owner  (with  his  sons)  of  the 
"Spy,"  W^orcester,  Mass.  He  represented  the  Worcester 
district  in  congress  from  1863  to  1869.  He  was  the 
author  of  The  Pre-Historic  Nations  and  Ancient  Amer- 
ica, issued  by  Harper  &  Brothers.  In  connection  with  the 
Rev.  William  Clift,  he  compiled  the  Denison  Genealogy, 
issued  in  1881.  He  furnished  much  material  to  Homer 
D.  L.  Sweet  for  The  Averys  of  Groton. 

Child  of  Ezra  and  Amy  (Avery)  Benjamin,  b.  at  Preston: 

i.       Eunice',  b.  June  24,  1795;    d.  unm. 

309.  Ebenezer"  Avery  {Ehenezer^,  Ehenezer*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Oct.  10,  1760,  at  Preston;  m.  Dec. 
11,  1783,  at  Preston,  Abigail  Story,  dan.  of  Solomon  and  Eliza- 
beth (Thomas)  Story.  She  was  b.  Aug.  5,  1762,  at  Preston ;  d. 
April  1,  1794,  at  Preston.  He  m.  2d,  Dec.  13,  1795,  Mary  Allyn, 
dau.  of  John  Allyn,  from  whom  she  inherited  land  (Groton 
Deeds,  14:214).  She  was  b.  Sept.  4,  1770;  d.  July  1,  1853,  at 
Preston.  He  enlisted  in  the  Revolution  from  Preston  in  Capt. 
Boardman's  company.  Col.  Sherm.an;  carried  from  Boston  to 
Philadelphia  the  specie  to  pay  the  soldiers ;  applied  Aug.  2,  1832, 
for  a  pension  which  was  granted  (Pension  Bureau  Records  & 
Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  661).  He  represented  Preston  in  the 
state  legislature.    He  d.  June  15,  1856,  at  Preston. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Abigail  (Story)  Avery,  b.  at  Pres- 
ton : 

AsA\  b.  May  16,  1785. 

Eunice',  b.  Aug.  14,  1786. 

Solomon  Story',  b.  Feb.  28,  1788. 

Sabra',  b.  March  4,  1790. 

Mary',  b.  Feb.  22,  1792. 

John  Stanton',  b.  Feb.  22,  1794. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary  (Allyn)  Avery,  b.  at  Pres- 
ton: 

Ebenezer',  b.  Aug.  16,  1797. 
Hannah  Morgan',  b.  Dec.  21,  1798. 
iii.     Elisha',  b.  March  30,  1800;    d.  June  16,  1829;    unm. 
777.     iv.     Lucy  Allyn',  b.  April  4,  1802. 


769. 

1, 

770. 

ii. 

771. 

iii. 

772. 

iv. 

773. 

V. 

774. 

vi. 

Childr( 

775. 

i. 

776. 

ii. 

270  The   Groton  Avery  Clan 

778.  V.      Benjamin  Franklin',  b.  May  18,  1804. 
vi.     Allen^  b.  Feb.  11,  1806;    d.  May  18,  1806. 

779.  vii.    Albert  G.',  b.  July  16,  1808. 

780.  viii.  George  S.',  b.  July  18,  1811. 

310.  Sarah"  Avery  (Simeon^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Feb.  4,  1754,  at  Groton;  m.  about  1774, 
Elisha  Perkins,  s.  of  Elnathan  and  Mary  (Phillips)  Perkins.  He 
was  bap.  April  5,  1747,  First  Church  of  Groton.  He  was  killed  at 
Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781.  His  father  was  killed  at  the  same 
time.  His  widow  m.  2d,  William  Wood,  s.  of  William  and  Honor 
(Adams)  Wood.  He  d.  Nov.  2,  1800,  at  Groton,  "in  the  51st  year 
of  his  age"  {Tombstone  in  Wood  Family  burying-ground) . 

"Sarah  Wood,  relict  of  William  Wood,  formerly  the  widow  of  Elisha 
Perkins,  died  June  26,  1824,  aged  70  years"  {Tombstone  in  Starr 
bui-ying-ground) . 

Her  children  by  her  second  marriage  went  to  New  Milford, 
in  the  almost  unbroken  wilderness  of  Susquehanna  County,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Perkins,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

i.       Elisha',  died  young. 

ii.      Mary',  died  young. 

iii.     Sarah',  b.  about  1779;   m.  Thomas  Gray;    d,  Dec.  3,  1847,  at 

Groton,  "aged  68  years"   {Tombstone) . 
iv.     Catharine',   b.   about   1781;    m.   William   Gray,   brother  of 
Thomas. 

Children  of  William  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Wood,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

i.       William',  b.  March  28,  1784;    m.  Betty  Darrow;    d.  Dec.  2, 

1859,  at  Southport,  Conn, 
ii.      Robertson',  b.  Dec.  8,  1789;    m.  Lucretia  E.  Kingsley;    d. 
April  15,  1843,  at  New  Milford,  Penn. 

311.  Lucy"  Avery  {Simeon°,  Ehenezer*,  James^,  James'', 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  24,  1756;  m.  Jonathan  Denison. 

312.  Nathan'''  Avery  {Simeon^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  31,  1759,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb.  20, 
1782,  at  Hebron,  Anna  Ayers,  dau.  of  John  and  Abigail  (Cook) 
Ayers.     She  was  b.  March  31,  1758,  at  Middletown.     Nathan 


1. 

781. 

ii. 

782. 

iii. 

783. 

iv. 

784. 

V. 

The  Sixth   Generation  271 

Avery  was  in  Capt.  Edward  Mott's  company,  1776;  was  in  the 
battle  of  White  Plains;  was  discharged  at  New  Castle,  late  in 
1776;  served  three  months  in  1779,  at  Fort  Trumbull;  seived 
two  tours  of  three  months  each,  terminating  at  Fort  Griswold, 
Sept.  6,  1781 ;  applied,  June,  1832,  for  a  pension  which  was 
granted  (Pension  Bureau  Records,  &  Conn.  Men  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, 617).  He  was  a  farmer,  and  lived  at  Fairlee  and  Orford, 
N.  H.,  and  at  Newbury,  Vt.  His  wife  d.  May  22,  1840 ;  he  d.  Jan. 
16,  1841,  both  at  Newbury. 

Children  of  Nathan  and  Anna  (Ayers)  Avery: 

Twins',  b.  and  d.  May,  1783,  at  Fairlee,  N.  H. 
Nathan',  b.  March  6,  1786,  at  Orford,  N.  H. 
Ann',  b.  March  17,  1788,  at  Fairlee. 
George  Washington',  b.  Dec.  12,  1789,  at  Newbury,  Vt. 
Simeon',  b.  July  19,  1791. 
vi.     Sarah   Ayers',  b.   May  7,   1793,  at   Newbury;     d.   Aug.   21, 
1814,  at  Newbury;    unm. 
785.     vii.    John  Ayers',  b.  Aug.  18,  1795,  at  Newbury. 

313.  Catharine"  Avery  {Simeon^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Sept.  24,  1761,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec.  9,  1779, 
at  Preston,  Elisha  Witter,  s.  of  William  and  Hannah  (Freeman) 
Witter.  He  was  b.  April  27,  1755,  at  Preston;  d.  about  1783, 
leaving  no  children.  His  widow  m.  2d,  Jan.  18,  1785,  Sluman 
Lathrop,  s.  of  Capt.  Elisha  and  Hannah  (Hough)  Lathrop,  He 
was  b.  Sept.  25,  1750,  at  Norwich.  They  lived  at  Lebanon,  N.  H., 
where  he  d.  Dec.  4,  1834 ;  she  d.  March  17,  1846. 

Children  of  Sluman  and  Catharine  (Avery)  Lathrop,  b.  at 
Lebanon,  N.  H. 

i.       Amos',  b.  May  4,  1787;    d.  Nov.  20,  1798,  at  Lebanon. 

ii.      Hannah  Niles',  b.  Feb.  15,  1789;   m.  Nehemiah  Huntington; 

d.  March  24,  1863;    s.  p. 
iii.     Catharine',  b.  Jan.  11,  1795;    d.  Nov.  16,  1796,  at  Lebanon, 
iv.     George  Hough',  b.  Aug.  17,  1796;   m.  Lois  Waldo;    d.  March 

23,  1878,  at  Lebanon. 

314.  Mary''  Avery  (Simeon'',  Ehenezer*,  James'^,  James^, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  March  10,  1764,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb.  14, 
1787,  Isaac  Miner,  s.  of  Thomas  and  Desire  (Denison)  Miner. 
He  was  b.  June  17,  1764,  at  Groton.  He  lived  at  Littleton  and 
Whitefield,  N.  H. ;  was  a  farmer;  a  Revolutionary  soldier ;   d.  at 


272  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Whitefield,  July  11,  1847 ;  she  d.  there  April  27,  1843. 
Children  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Avery)  Miner : 

i.       Sarah',  b.  Jan.   15,  1789;    m.  James  Badger;    2d,  William 

Morrill, 
ii.      Simeon  Avery',  b.  May  12,  1791;   m.  Mary  P.  Orcott. 
iii.     Elisha  Perkins',  b.  Jan.  28,  1793;   m.  Eliza  Berry;    d.  Nov. 

6,  1875,  at  Littleton. 
iv.     Mary',  b.  March  16,  1795;    m.  Enoch  Wing;    d.  at  Lyndon, 

Vt. 
V.      Hannah  Avery',  b.  July  20,  1797;   m.  Seth  Morse, 
vi.     Lucy',  b.  Oct.  4,  1799;    m.  Chauncey  Hall, 
vii.    Desire  Denison',  b.  Feb.  9,  1802;   m.  Bela  Orcott. 
viii.  Catharine  Lathrop',  b.  June  21,  1804;    m.  Samuel  Taylor 

Morse;    d.  June  11,  1873,  at  Littleton. 
ix.     Isaac',  b.  March  7,  1807;   m.  Sally  Pearson. 
X.      Lodowick',  b.  June  19,  1809;   d.  unm. 

315.  Hannah*'  Avery  (Simeon^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  May  16,  1768,  at  Groton;  m.  Capt.  Samuel 
Morey,  s.  of  General  Israel  and  Martha  (Palmer)  Morey,  of 
Hebron,  who  moved  to  Orford,  N.  H.,  about  1766.  He  was  b.  Oct. 
23,  1762,  at  Hebron,  He  acquired  large  landed  estates  on  both 
sides  of  the  Connecticut  River ;  was  extensively  engaged  in  lum- 
bering and  had  superior  mechanical  and  scientific  talents.  He 
built  the  locks  at  Bellows  Falls;  patented  a  revolving  steam 
engine  in  1815 ;  took  out  a  patent  for  an  engine  to  propel  boats 
in  1795  and,  later,  other  patents  for  the  same  purpose,  all  of 
which  were  successfully  applied.  His  wife  d.  April  21,  1822,  at 
Orford,  N.  H. ;  he  d.  April  17,  1843,  at  Fairlee,  Vt.  They  are 
said  to  have  had  one  daughter,  who  m.  the  Hon.  Leonard  Wilcox, 
judge  and  United  States  senator. 

316.  Jesse''  Avery  (Simeon^,  Ehenezer*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Oct.  22,  1771,  at  Groton;  m.  May,  1803,  at 
Orford,  N.  H.,  Elizabeth  Piatt,  dau.  of  Eben  and  (Ames)  Piatt. 
She  w^as  b.  Sept.  26,  1782,  at  Ringe,  N.  H.  He  was  a  carpenter. 
He  d.  Feb,  13,  1824,  at  Orford;  she  d.  March  23,  1846,  at  the 
same  place. 

Children  of  Jesse  and  Elizabeth  (Piatt)  Avery,  b.  at  Orford, 

N.  H.: 

786.  i.       Elizabeth',  b.  May  5,  1805. 

787.  ii.      Marian',  b.  May  8,  1807. 


The  Sixth  Generation  273 

788.  iii.  Eben  Platt',  b.  Sept.  14,  1809. 

789.  iv.  Almira  Morey',  b.  May  19,  1812. 

790.  V.  Joshua  K.',  b.  Oct.  22,  1815. 

791.  vi.  Susan  Colston',  b.  Oct.  4,  1820. 

792.  vii.  Mahalah  Platt',  b.  June  13,  1824. 

317.  Silas''  Avery  {Simeon^,  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher'')  was  b.  Sept.  11,  1773,  at  Groton.  He  lived  in 
Orford,  N.  H.,  and  was  deacon  of  the  church  there.  He  is  sup- 
posed to  have  married  and  to  have  left  children.  He  d.  Jan.  28, 
1827,  at  Orford. 

318.  Joshua"  Avery  (Simeon\  Ebenezer*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher')  was  b.  March  16,  1777,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec.  27, 
1807,  at  Arlington,  Mass.,  Mary  Ann  Russell,  dau.  of  Thomas 
and  Anna  (Whittemore)  Russell.  She  was  b.  Sept.  25,  1783,  at 
Arlington ;  d.  March  1,  1823,  at  same  place.  He  was  "published" 
Nov.  29,  1827,  at  Arlington,  and  m.  Sarah  Wheeler.  He  was  a 
carpenter ;  member  of  the  school  committee,  1823-1826 ;  select- 
man, 1826-1836 ;  was  thanked  by  the  town  in  1837  for  his  long 
and  valuable  services.  He  d.  April  23,  1840,  at  Arlington ;  she 
d.  Oct.  8,  1867,  at  same  place. 

Children  of  Joshua  and  Mary  Ann  (Russell)  Avery,  b.  at 
Arlington : 

Thomas  Russell',  b.  June  5,  1809. 
Chakles  Park',  b.  April  19,  1812. 
Mary  Ann',  b.  Aug.  14,  1816. 
Alexander  Pope',  b.  May  2,  1818. 

319.  Simeon  Hyde''  Avery  (Simeon^,  Ebenezer*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher'')  was  b.  Jan.  13,  1787;  m.  about  1811, 
Rebecca  Passmore,  dau,  of  Henry  and  Martha  (Busel?)  Pass- 
more.  She  w^as  b.  Aug.  1,  1795,  near  York,  Penn.  He  was  a 
potter.  He  d.  Jan.  3,  1835,  near  Miami,  O. ;  she  d.  April  4,  1878, 
in  Hancock  County,  111. 

Children  of  Simeon  Hyde  and  Rebecca  (Passmore)  Avery: 

i.       Martha',  b.  Aug.  3,  1813,  at  Cincinnati;    d.  Sept.  4,  1814,  at 
Cincinnati. 
John  Leek',  b.  Sept.  25,  1815,  at  Cincinnati. 
Oliver  Spenser',  b.  April  28,  1817,  at  Miami,  Ohio. 
Henry  Passmore',  b.  Nov.  19,  1819,  at  Miami. 


801. 

1. 

802. 

ii. 

803. 

iii 

804. 

iv. 

805. 

11. 

806. 

iii. 

807. 

iv. 

274  The   Groton  Avery   Clan 

808.  V.      Simeon  Hyde',  b.  March  6,  1824,  at  Miami. 

809.  vi.     Emeline',  b.  Jan.  7,  1828,  at  Miami. 

vii.    Caroline',  b.  March  17,  1829;    d.  June  17,  1830. 

320.  John*''  Avery  {John^,  Christopher^  James\  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Dec.  6,  1732,  at  Preston;  m.  Jan.  22,  1752, 
at  Preston,  Mary  Parke,  dau.  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Benja- 
min) Parke.  She  was  bap.  Feb.  18,  1733,  at  First  Church  of 
Preston.  Her  father,  Robert  Parke,  in  his  will,  made  Sept.  13, 
1777,  remembered  his  grandchildren,  John  Avery,  Zlpporah 
Williams,  Samuel,  William,  and  Hannah  Avery,  heirs  of  his 
daughter,  Mary  Avery.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Separatist 
Church  of  Preston,  and  the  children  were  bap.  there  in  her  name. 
She  d.  Jan.  14,  1769-70,  at  Preston.  He  m.  2d,  April  14,  1770, 
Experience  Stanton,  dau.  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  (Coit)  Stan- 
ton. John*'  Avery,  his  second  wife,  and  their  five  children  were 
bap.  at  the  Separatist  Church,  June  27,  1781.  He  lived  on  the 
east  side  of  Avery  Pond,  in  Ledyard.  He  was  a  farmer  and  gold- 
smith. He  also  made  brass-wheeled  clocks,  some  of  which  are 
said  to  be  still  in  running  order.  He  taught  this  trade  to  four  of 
his  sons,  John,  Samuel,  William,  and  Robert.  He  was  justice  of 
the  peace  many  years;  selectman  of  Preston,  1774,  1775.  In 
May,  1774,  he  was  commissioned  ensign  of  the  train  band  of 
Preston;  in  Oct.,  1774,  lieutenant  {Conn.  Col.  Rec,  14:266,  334). 
From  the  Preston  town  records  we  copy  the  following : 

Nov.  21,  1774.  "And  whereas  a  strict  observance  to  the  plan  adopted 
and  agreed  to  by  said  congress  [at  Philadelphia]  appears  the  best 
method  of  maintaining  our  just  rights  and  privileges,  this  meeting 
made  choice  of  John  Avery,  Jr.  [and  fourteen  others]  to  be  a  com- 
mittee to  inspect  the  conduct  of  the  inhabitants  of  said  Preston  and 
all  other  persons  within  the  same  that  they  strictly  comply  with  the 
several  articles  agreed  to  by  the  said  Congress." 

This  refers  to  "The  Association  of  the  United  Colonies"  (the 
non-importation  agreement)  adopted  by  the  first  continental  con- 
gress, and  signed  by  its  members,  October  20,  1774.  For  further 
particulars,  see  Avery's  History  of  the  United  tStates  and  its 
People,  vol.  5,  page  222. 

December  10,  1776,  John  Avery,  Jr.,  was  chosen  one  of  the 
committee  of  inspection  for  Preston  for  the  coming  year.  Jan- 
uary 5,  1778,  he  was  one  of  a  committee  "chosen  to  make  a  draft 


The  Sixth  Generation  275 

to  instruct  our  deputies  to  the  General  Assembly  to  be  convened 
at  Hartford  on  the  second  Thursday  of  January  to  adopt  articles 
of  Confederation."  He  was  deputy  from  Preston,  Oct.,  1771 
(Conn.  Col.  Rec,  13:511).  In  the  Connecticut  State  Records 
(1 :129) ,  under  date  of  Dec,  1776,  we  read : 

"Resolved  by  this  Assembly  that  John  Avery  Jr.,  of  Preston,  be  and  he 
is  hereby  appointed  in  addition  to  the  committee  appointed  to  pro- 
cure and  purchase  fire  arms  in  this  state  agreeable  to  the  acts  and 
resolutions." 

Being  too  frail  to  go  into  active  service  himself  he  procured  and 
paid  a  substitute  who  served  during  the  war  and  came  home 
safe. 

In  his  will,  made  March  28,  1793,  he  mentioned  all  his  sons, 
and  his  daus.,  Zipporah  Cook,  Hannah  Avery,  and  Mary  Avery 
(Nortuich  Wills,  9 :51) .  He  d.  July  23,  1794,  at  Preston.  In  the 
settlement  of  his  estate,  his  son,  John,  is  called  "eldest  son  of 
said  deceased  by  a  former  venture." 

Children  of  John  and  Mary  (Parke)  Avery,  b.  at  Preston: 

i.       Elizabeth^  b.  Aug.  22,  1752;    died  young. 

810.  ii.      Zipporah',  b.  Sept.  22,  1753. 

811.  iii.    John',  b.  Dec.  14,  1755. 

iv.     Anna',  b.  Dec.  3,  1757;    d.  Nov.  29,  1769. 

812.  V.      Samuel',  b.  June  4,  1760. 

vi.     Robert',  b.  Sept.  28,  1762;    d.  May  21,  1764. 

813.  vii.    William',  b.  March  22,  1765. 

814.  viii.  Hannah',  b.  Dec.  17,  1767;    m.  David  Avery  (No.  1401). 

Children  of  John  and  Experience  (Stanton)  Avery,  b.  at 
Preston : 

815.  i.       Robert  Stanton',  b.  Feb.  25,  1771. 

ii.  Nathaniel',  b.  May  14,  1773.  The  inventory  of  his  estate 
was  taken  Dec.  9,  1846,  he  being  "an  «iged  and  super- 
anuated  person."  He  d.  March  10,  1847,  at  Preston; 
unm. 

816.  iii.     Amos',  b.  Nov.  3,  1774. 

iv.     Jonas',  b.  March  17,  1777;    d.  Sept.  24,  1778. 

V.      Mary',  b.  July  14,  1779;   d.  Dec.  31,  1828,  at  Preston;   unm. 

817.  vi.     Christopher',  b.  Oct.  4,  1781. 

321.  Abigail''  Avery  (John^,  Christopher*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  April  1,  1735,  at  Preston;  m.  John  Hurl- 
but,  s.  of  John  and  Mary  (Stoddard)  Hurlbut.    He  was  b.  March 


276  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

12, 1729-30.  He  was  a  member  of  the  committee  for  Groton,  just 
before  the  war.  He  bought  a  right  in  the  Susquehanna  company 
and,  in  1778,  emigrated  to  that  country.  He  was  a  deputy  to  the 
Connecticut  assembly  from  Westmoreland,  1779,  1780,  1781 
{Conn.  State  Rec,  2:251).  He  and  his  sons,  Christopher,  John, 
and  Naphtali,  were  all  members  of  Capt.  John  Franklin's  com- 
pany of  militia  (American  Monthly  Magazine,  19 :265) .  He  was 
deacon  of  the  church  and,  in  absence  of  the  clergyman  at 
Wyoming,  frequently  read  the  sermon.  He  d.  March  10,  1782,  at 
Hanover,  Penn. ;  she  d.  Nov.  29,  1805,  at  Pittston,  Penn. 

Children  of  John  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Hurlbut,  b.  at  Gro-^ 
ton: 

i.       Christopher',  b.  May  30,  1757;    m.  Elizabeth  Mann.     They 

were  the  ancestors  of  Henry  W.  Hoyt,  governor  of  Penn. 

He  d.  April  21,  1831,  at  Arkport,  N.  Y. 
ii.     John',  b.  Feb.  21,  1760;   m.  Hannah  Millet;   d.  Feb.,  1813,  at. 

Palmyra,  N.  Y. 
iii.     Anna',  b.  Jan.   5,   1763;    m.   Elisha  Blackman;    d.  Jan.   6, 

1828,  at  Hanover,  Penn. 
iv.     Catharine',  b.   March   18,   1764-65;    m.  William   Hyde;    d. 

Sept.  24,  1804,  at  Arkport,  N.  Y. 
V.      Naphtali',  b.  Aug.   12,   1767;    m.   Olive   Smith;     sheriff  of 

Luzerne  County,  Penn.,  for  many  years;    d.  March  28, 

1844,  at  Burns,  N.  Y. 
vi.     Stephen',  b.  Feb.  9,  1770;   d.  Feb.  28,  1779,  at  Shawaugunk,, 

N.  Y.,  on  his  way  to  the  Susquehanna  country, 
vii.    Abigail',  b.  Sept.,  1772;   d.  June  29,  1778;   on  her  way  west, 
viii.  Lydia',  b.  July  10,  1775;   m.  John  Tiffany;    d.  May  17,  1852, 

at  Arkport,  N.  Y. 

322.  Amos'"'  Avery  {John^,  Christopher*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  April  16,  1737;  m.  April  14,  1762,  at  Pres- 
ton, Hannah  Niles,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  (Northrop) 
Niles.  She  was  b.  Nov.  4,  1744,  at  Groton.  He  was  deacon  of  the 
Separatist  Church  of  Preston.  They  had  no  children  but  brought 
up  several  belonging  to  their  relatives.  Their  tombstones,  in  the 
Avery  cemetery  at  Preston,  bear  the  following  inscriptions : 

"Hannah  Avery,  the  amiable  wife  of  Deacon  Amos  Avery,  departed  this, 
life  May  5,  1808,  aged  63  years  &  6  months." 

"Deacon  Amos  Avery  died  June  5,  1824,  aged  87  years."  '' 


The  Sixth  Generation  277 

323.  Anna"  Avery  {Johri',  Christopher^,  James',  James'-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  May  28,  1739,  at  Preston;  m.  June  6,  1762, 
at  Groton,  Thomas  Northrop  Niles,  s.  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary 
(Northrop)  Niles.  He  was  b.  Dec.  9,  1739,  at  Groton.  He  was  a 
farmer ;  d.  May  6,  1796 ;  she  d.  April  10,  1816,  both  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Thomas  Northrop  and  Anna  (Avery)  Niles,  b. 
at  Groton : 

i.       Northrop',  b.  May  26,  1763;   d.  Dec.  4,  1807,  at  Groton, 

ii,      Amos  Avery',  b.  March  19,  1766;    m.  Anna  Allyn;    d.  Jan. 

31,  1843,  at  Salem, 
iii.     Jonas',  b.  April  13,  1768;    d.  Feb.  6,  1769,  at  Groton. 
iv.     Phoebe',  b.  Feb.  11,  1770;    d.  Feb.  14,  1772,  at  Groton. 
V.      Paul  Frederick',  b.  July  22,  1772;    m.  Sabra  Avery    (No. 

730). 
vi.     John  Avery',  b.  Aug.  30,  1774;   d.  March  29,  1779,  at  Groton. 
vii.    Silas',  b.  Jan.  26,  1777;   m.  Bridget  Avery  (No.  731). 
viii.  Joseph    Stanton',   b.   Dec.   26,   1778;    d.   Dec.   9,   1841,   at 
Salem;  unm. 

324.  Margaret'"'  Avery  {John%  Christopher^  James^, 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  April  19,  1741,  at  Preston;  m.  Dec. 
21,  1758,  at  Preston,  Joshua  Downer,  s.  of  Andrew  and  Sarah 
(Lazell)  Downer.  He  was  b.  at  Norwich,  Aug.  6,  1735.  He  was 
a  private  in  the  campaign  of  1755 ;  as  a  physician,  he  cared  for 
the  wounded  after  the  battle  of  Fort  Griswold.  She  d.  July  26, 
1760,  at  Preston.  He  married  a  second  time  and  had  a  large 
family.    He  d.  July  11,  1795,  at  Preston. 

Child  of  Joshua  and  Margaret  (Avery)  Downer,  b.  at  Pres- 
ton: 

i.       Margaret',  b.  July  17,  1760;   died  young. 

325.  Isaac"  Avery  {John'',  Christopher*,  James%  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  March  24,  1743,  at  Preston;  m.  Jan.  5, 
1766,  at  Preston,  Mercy  Williams,  dau.  of  William  and  Margaret 
(Cook)  WiHiams.  She  was  b.  Oct.  24,  1743,  at  Groton.  He 
served  in  the  "Lexington  Alarm";  sergeant  in  Capt.  James 
Morgan's  co.,  eighth  regiment,  1776  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
20,  453) .  October  10,  1788,  Capt.  John  Avery  deeded  land  to  his 
beloved  son.  Major  Isaac  Avery  (Preston  Deeds,  11:18),  In  the 
settlement  of  his  estate,  he  is  called  colonel.  His  will  was  made 
June  14,  1812;   he  d.  June  17,  1812,  at  Preston;   will  was  pro- 


818. 

11. 

819. 

iii. 

IV. 

820. 

V. 

vi. 

278  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

bated  June  24,  1812;  heirs  were  widow,  Mercy  Avery;  sons, 
William  and  Isaac ;  children  of  son,  Amos ;  daus.,  Nabby  Crary, 
Margaret  Avery,  Mercy  Grant  (Norivich  Wills,  12 :18,  355) .  His 
widow  d.  Dec.  14,  1814,  at  Preston.  He,  his  wife,  and  his  chil- 
dren, William  Williams,  Margaret,  and  Henry  Alfred,  are  buried 
in  the  Avery  cemetery  at  Preston. 

Children  of  Isaac  and  Mercy  (Williams)  Avery,  t).  at  Pres- 
ton: 

i.       William    Williams',    b.    Feb.    28,    1767;     called    captain; 
willed  his  property  to  his  brothers  and  sisters  and  their 
heirs    (Norwich  Wills,  12:164);    d.  March  25,  1813,  at 
Preston ;   unm. 
Amos',  b.  June  16,  1769. 
Isaac',  b.  Aug.  10,  1771. 

John  STANTON^  b.  Oct.  7,  1774;    d.  Feb.  15,  1792,  at  Pres- 
ton. 
Abigail',  b.  Oct.  13,  1776. 

MARGAREr,  b.  Feb.  23,  1779;    d.  Sept.  20,  1856,  at  Preston; 
left  a  long  will  that  determined  many  relationships. 
821.    vii.    Mercy',  b.  May  14,  1781. 

viii.  Henry  Alfred',  b.  Oct.  14,  1783;    d.  Feb.  15,  1802,  at  Pres- 
ton. 

326.  Jonas'^  Avery  {Johiv',  Christopher*,  James^,  James', 
Christopher^)  was  b.  July  15,  1745,  at  Preston;  m.  Jan.  16,  1772, 
at  Preston,  Mary  Avery  (No.  268),  dau.  of  John  and  Mary 
(Dennis)  Avery.  She  was  b.  June  21,  1753,  at  Groton.  She  m. 
2d,  Samuel  Avery  (No.  560),  under  which  number  see  her  will. 
She  d.  Sept.  9,  1814,  at  Preston.  In  his  will,  made  Dec.  16,  1776, 
Jonas  Avery  mentioned  his  children,  Jabez  and  Margaret,  and 
his  wife,  Mary.  His  tombstone  in  the  Avery  burying-ground  at 
Preston  reads : 

"In  memory  of  Mr.  Jonas  Avery  who  voluntarily  joined  the  army  in  ye 
year  1776  and  at  ye  White  Plains  contracted  ye  disease  of  which  he 
died  Dec.  18,  1776,  in  ye  32d  year  of  his  age. 

Stop  generous  mortals, 

Who  shall  pass  this  way, 

A  debt  to  Patriotic  virtue  pay. 

For  liberty  and  all 

On  earth  you  prize, 

He  and  ten  thousand 

Fell  a  sacrifice." 


The  Sixth  Generation  279 

Children  of  Jonas  and  Mary   (Avery)   Avery,  recorded  at 

Groton : 

i.       Jabez',  b.  April  4,  1773;   d.  Nov.  20,  1794,  at  Groton;   unm. 
822.     ii.      Margaret',  b.  Feb.  27,  1775;    m.  William  Avery  (No.  813); 
2d,  Oliver  Avery  (No.  336). 

327.  Hannah*'  Avery  (John%  Christopher*,  James\  James^, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Oct.  9,  1747,  at  Preston;  bap.  March  6, 
1748,  Separatist  Church  of  Preston ;  m.  Nov.  17,  1768,  at  Pres- 
ton, Ebenezer  Brewster,  s.  of  Ebenezer  and  Susannah  (Smith) 
Brewster,  a  descendant  of  Elder  Brewster  of  the  "Mayflower." 
He  was  b.  April  25,  1741,  at  Preston.  He  was  in  the  "Lexington 
Alarm"  from  Preston ;  second  lieutenant,  Col.  Parson's  regi- 
ment, 1775;  captain,  1776  (Co7in.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  20,  73,  99). 
They  moved  to  Hanover,  N.  H.,  before  1784.  In  1784,  he  was 
made  colonel  of  the  24th  New  Hampshire  militia;  March  27, 
1793,  he  was  made  brigadier-general  of  the  sixth  brigade  (New 
Hampshire  State  Papers,  20:254  &  22:513). 

Children  of  Ebenezer  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Brewster,  re- 
corded at  Preston : 

i.       Anna^  b.  Aug.  20,  1769. 
ii.      Hannah',  b.  June  12,  1771. 

328.  Phoebe"  Avery  (John"",  Christopher*,  James''',  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  8,  1757,  at  Preston;  m.  Jan.  5,  1775, 
at  Preston,  Hezekiah  Parke,  s.  of  Paul  and  Sarah  (Smith)  Parke. 
He  was  b.  Oct.  23,  1750,  at  Preston ;  d.  Nov.  12,  1827,  at  Preston. 
She  d.  June  23,  1830,  at  Preston.  Both  are  buried  in  the  Avery 
burying-ground  at  Preston, 

Children  of  Hezekiah  and  Phcebe  (Avery)  Parke,  b.  at  Pres- 
ton : 

i.       Prentice  Avery',  b.  Jan.  23,  1776. 

ii.      Paul',  b.  Aug.  15,  1777. 

iii.     Russell',  b.  Jan.  16,  1779;    m.  Phoebe  ;    was  in  war 

of  1812. 
iv.     William  More',  b.  Aug.  18,  1782;    m.  Betsey  Witter;    d.  at 

Burlington,  N.  Y. 
v.     Abby  Burrows',  b.  Oct.  10,  1784. 
vi.     John  Gore',  b.  April  29,  1787;    judge  of  supreme  court  of 

Ky. 
vii.    Asa',   b.   June   23,    1789;     m.   Martha    Billings   Avery    (No, 
768)  ;    2d,  Mrs.  Abby  (Williams)  Lamb. 


280  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

viii.  Henry  Russ',  b.  Feb,  21,  1791. 

ix.     Hezekiah  Ripley',  b.  May  24,  1794;    m.  Widow  Persis  Cook 

Ayer. 
X.      Phoebe',  b.  Oct.  10,  1796. 
xi.    Jonathan  Chester',  b.  Sept.  21,  1799. 

329.  Esther^  Avery  (Christopher^,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  April  14,  1736,  at  Groton;  m. 
March  17,  1757,  at  Groton,  Daniel  Williams,  s.  of  David  Williams. 
He  was  b.  July  17,  1728,  at  Groton.  They  moved  to  Stockbridge, 
Mass.,  where  she  d.  Aug.  18,  1814 ;  he  d.  there  Sept.  26,  1818. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Esther  (Avery)  Williams ;  the  first 
six  are  recorded  at  Groton,  and  bap.  at  First  Church  of  Preston, 
Oct.  27,  1775 : 

i.       Asa',  b.  March  17,  1758;   m.  Sylvia  Peck;   d.  March  20,  1846, 

at  Stockbridge,  Mass. 
ii.      Lucretia',  b.  Oct.  30,  1759;    m.  William  Whelpley;    d.  Dec. 

13,  1796,  at  Lenox,  Mass. 
iii.     Daniel' ,b.   April   6,   1762;    m.    Martha   Coles;     2d,    Miriam 

Hickox;   lived  at  Lenox, 
iv.     Esther',  b.  Oct.  3,  1764;    m.  Rice  Beach;    lived  at  Schodack, 

N.  Y. 
v.      Cyrus',  b.  March  22,  1767;    m.  Fanny  West  of  Tolland;    2d, 

Sarah  Huntington;    d.  Oct.  20,  1841,  at  Hoosac,  Mass. 
vi.     Prentice',   b.   June    7,    1773;     m.    Clarissa    I.    Rogers;     2d, 

Amelia  West;   lived  at  Stockbridge. 
vii.    Sarah',  b.  June  3,  1777,  at  Stockbridge;    m.  Simeon  Walk- 
ley;    lived  at  West  Springfield,  Mass. 

330.  Christopher'^  Avery  (Christopher^,  Christopher*, 
James^,  James'-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  23,  1738,  at  Groton; 
m.  Dec.  16,  1763,  at  Groton,  Dorothy  Heath,  dau.  of  Capt.  John 
and  Temperance  (Avery)  Heath  (No.  90).  She  was  b.  June  10, 
1744,  at  Groton;  d.  June  14,  1803,  at  Stonington.  He  m,  2d, 
Nov.  7,  1803,  at  Stonington,  Mary  Eldredge,  said  to  have  been 
the  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Mary  (Hempstead)  Eldredge. 
She  was  b.  April  6,  1759,  according  to  Sweet's  Averys  of  Groton. 
Christopher*'  Avery  was  ordained  as  a  Separatist  minister,  at 
North  Stonington,  Nov.  20,  1785,  succeeding  his  uncle,  Nathan 
Avery.  He  preached  until  his  death,  July  5,  1819,  at  Stonington. 
His  widow,  Mary,  died  Dec.  8,  1848,  at  North  Stonington.    They 


823. 

1. 

824. 

ii. 

825. 

iii 

826. 

iv. 

V. 

The  Sixth  Generation  281 

are  buried  at  Wintechogue  Hill  cemetery.     His  first  wife  was 
buried  at  (iroton. 

Children  of  Christopher  and  Dorothy  (Heath)  Avery: 

Timothy",  b.  May  8,  1766. 

Christopher',  b.  Dec.  10,  1768. 

Temperance',  b.  June  14,  1773;   m.  Abel  Avery  (No.  517). 

Jonathan',  b.  March  5,  1775. 

Henrys  b.  July  27,  1783;    d.  June  30,  1799. 

332.  Lucy"  Avery  (Christopher'^  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Dec.  10,  1742,  at  Groton,  recorded 
at  Preston  and  Groton;  m.  Nov.  30,  1762,  at  Groton,  Thomas 
Allyn  s.  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary  (Thurber)  Allyn,  and  grandson 
of  Robert  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Allyn  (No.  10).  He  was  b. 
June  23,  1742,  at  Groton.  His  wife  d.  Jan.  19,  1783,  at  Allyn's 
Point,  Groton.  He  m.  2d,  Prudence  Avery,  possibly  the  daughter 
of  Isaac  Avery  (No.  79).  She  d.  April  22,  1785,  at  Allyn's 
Point,  aged  43  years.  He  m.  3d,  the  Widow  Breed.  He  d.  June 
18,  1812,  at  Allyn's  Point. 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Allyn,  b.  at  Groton: 

i.       Thomas',  b.  Sept.  20,  1763;    m.  Susannah  Morgan;    d.  May 

20,  1849. 
ii.      Lucy',  b.  March  16,  1766;    m.  Gilbert  Edgecombe, 
iii.     Eunice',  b.  Aug.  7,  1768;    m.  Samuel  Breed, 
iv.     Joshua',  b.  July  22,  1770;   m.  Hannah  Hurlbut;   d.  March  16, 

1840,  at  Cortland,  N.  Y. 
V.      Cyrus',  b.  May  22,  1772;    d.  Oct.  24,  1774,  at  Allyn's  Point, 
vi.     Anna',  b.  Jan.  13,  1775;    m.  Mark  Stoddard, 
vii.    Phebe',  b.  Oct.  17,  1777;   d.  June  12,  1786,  at  Allyn's  Point. 

333.  Nathan"  Avery  {Christopher^,  Christopher*,  James'^, 
James-,  Christopher'')  was  b.  April  30,  1744,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept. 
18,  1765,  Rebecca  Elderkin,  dau.  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Allen) 
Elderkin.  She  was  b.  Sept.  17,  1743.  He  was  a  corporal  in  Capt. 
Ralph  Stoddard's  company  of  militia ;  served  his  term  at  Fort 
Griswold;  w^as  a  carpenter  and  helped  to  build  the  barracks 
there ;  pens'on  was  refused  his  widow,  1837,  because  he  had  not 
served  six  months  {Widows'  Pension  File,  308).  He  d.  Aug.  31, 
1832;   she  d.  Feb.  1,  1841,  both  at  East  Haddam. 

Childi^en  of  Nathan  and  Rebecca  (Elderkin)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 


282  The   Groton  Avery  Clan 


b'Zi. 

1. 

ii. 

iii. 

828. 

iv. 

829. 

V. 

830. 

vi. 

831. 

vii. 

viii 

ix. 

832. 

X. 

xi. 

Lovisa',  b.  1767. 

Nathan',  b.  1770;    died  young. 

Elderkin^  b.  1772;    mariner;    died  young  in  Prussia. 

Vashti',  b.  Sept.  18,  1774. 

Rebecca',  b.  Oct.  4,  1775. 

Prentice',  b.  Oct.  5,  1776. 

Roxcelena',  b.  Oct.  9,  1779. 

Lucy',  b.  July  4,  1781;    d.  Nov.  12,  1876,  at  East  Haddam; 

unm. 
Diascha',  died  in  infancy. 
Prudence',  b.  May  15,  1787. 
Damaris',  d.  Dec.  13,  1847,  at  East  Haddam;    unm.;    aged 

58  years. 

334.  Thomas"  Avery  (Christophei-^,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Feb.  10,  1746,  at  Groton;  m.  July 
7,  1768,  Hannah  Smith,  dau.  of  Nathan  and  Mary  (Denison) 
Smith.  She  was  b.  July  23,  1745,  at  Groton.  He  was  sergeant, 
1775 ;  second  lieutenant,  1776 ;  first  lieutenant,  Jedediah  Hunt- 
ington's regiment,  1777  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  78,  99,  146). 
He  was  later  made  a  captain  of  militia.  He  was  in  the  siege  of 
Boston;  in  the  battles  of  Long  Island,  White  Plains,  German- 
town,  and  Peekskill ;  and  was  in  camp  at  Valley  Forge.  He  was 
an  armorer.  He  settled  in  Colerain,  Mass.,  after  the  Revolution. 
He  was  a  congressman  in  Jefferson's  administration.  She  d. 
Oct.  13,  1813;   he  died  May  4,  1825. 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Smith)  Avery: 
Russell',  b.  July  IS,  1769. 
Gilbert',  b.  Jan.  23,  1771;   d.  Jan.  20,  1772. 
Hannah',  b.  Dec.  13,  1772;    m.  Joshua  Avery  (No.  712). 
Gilbert',  b.  Jan.  18,  1775. 
Anna',  b.  Oct.  25,  1777,  at  Groton. 
Sabra',  b.  Sept.  10,  1779. 
Thomas',  b.  Jan.  1,  1782;    died  unm. 
viii.  Lucy',  b.  July  3,  1784. 
Mary',  b.  June  26,  1786. 
Samuel  Prentice',  b.  Nov.  9,  1793. 

335.  Samuel''  Avery  (Christopher^,  Christopher\  James^,. 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Nov.  15,  1752,  at  Groton  ;  m.  March 
4,  1780,  at  Norwich,  Candace  Charlton,  dau.  of  Richard  and 
Sarah  (Gist)  Charlton.  She  was  b.  Nov.  7,  1748,  at  Norwich. 
In  testifying  in  relation  to  the  service  of  his  brother,  Nathan. 


833. 

1. 

ii. 

834. 

iii. 

835. 

iv. 

836. 

V. 

837. 

vi. 

vii 

838. 

vii 

839. 

ix. 

840. 

X. 

The  Sixth  Generation  283 

Avery,  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  he  states  that  he  was  not  in  the 
same  company  of  militia  {Widoivs'  Pension  File,  308).  He  was 
selectman  of  Norwich  in  1805.  His  wife  d.  Aug.  31,  1816 ;  he  d. 
Dec.  15,  1844,  both  at  Norwich.  In  1845,  the  estate  was  divided 
among  the  children  of  his  son,  Samuel,  and  the  children  of  his 
granddaughter,  Ann  Thomas  Tracy  Richards,  his  son,  Henry, 
having  had  his  share. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Candace  (Charlton)  Avery,  b.  at 
Norwich : 

841.  i.       Elizabeth',  b.  June  19,  1781. 

ii.      Henry',  b.  April  7;    d.  June  23,  1783. 

842.  iii.     Samuel',  b.  Aug.  31,  1784. 

843.  iv.     Henry",  b.  Aug.  29,  1786. 

V.      Eunice',  b.  May  18,  1789;    d.  Oct.  17,  1792,  at  Norwich. 

336.  Oliver"  Avery  {Christopher^,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James'-,  Christopher'')  was  b.  Feb.  8,  1757,  at  Groton ;  bap.  May 
21,  1763,  at  his  father's  house  in  Preston;  m,  April  5,  1802,  at 
Stonington,  Margaret  Avery,  (No.  822),  dau.  of  Jonas  and  Mary 
(Avery)  Avery,  and  widow  of  William  Avery  (No.  813).  She 
was  b.  Feb.  27,  1775,  at  Groton.  She  is  buried  by  her  first  hus- 
band in  the  Old  Plain  burying-ground.    Her  tombstone  reads  : 

"Margaret  relict  of  William  Avery,  deceased,  consort  of  Oliver  Avery, 
died  May  22,  1805,  aged  32." 

Oliver  Avery  m.  2d,  April  18,  1806,  at  Stonington,  Lucy  Bud- 
dington.  From  his  application  for  a  pension,  we  learn  that 
during  the  Revolution  he  lived  at  Norwich ;  served  in  the  militia, 
some  of  the  time  in  a  mustered  company ;  in  service  other  than 
military.  His  witnesses  were  Amos  Gallup,  Caleb  Huntington, 
and  his  brother,  Samuel.  After  the  Revolution,  he  lived  in  Stock- 
bridge,  Mass.,  and,  about  1802,  moved  to  Stonington  {Conn.  Men 
in  the  Rev'n,  640,  661,  and  Pension  Application,  Inv.  16613). 
"Lucy,  wife  of  Oliver  Avery,  died  Nov.  3,  1836" ;  "Oliver  Avery 
died  May  5,  1842,  aged  85"  {Tombstones,  Old  Plain  burying- 
ground)  .  It  is  reported  that  he  had  five  children,  but  we  cannot 
find  any  record  of  them. 

337.  Abigail  Avery  {Christopher^^  Christopher"^,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  w^as  b.  Feb.  22,  1759,  at  Groton;  bap.  May 
21,  1763,  at  her  father's  house  in  Preston ;   m.  Oct.  30,  1785,  at 


284  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Groton,  Vine  Stoddard,  s.  of  Ralph  and  Susannah  (Avery)  Stod- 
dard. He  was  b.  Feb.  22,  1749,  at  Groton;  was  a  farmer.  He 
was  an  ensign  in  Capt.  Ralph  Stoddard's  company,  1776,  1781 
(Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  586,  618) .  He  d.  Jan.  29,  1834 ;  she  d. 
Aug.  18,  1852,  both  at  Groton. 

Children  of  Vine  and  Abigail  (Avery)  Stoddard,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

i.      Eunice',  b.  March  2,  1787;   died  April  7,  1787. 

it.      Isaac',  b.  Oct.  23,  1788;    m.  Eleanor  Taylor  Wardwell;    2d, 

Widow  Eunice  Merick;    d.  May  6,  1869,  at  Mystic. 
iii.     Guy  C,  b.  May  11,  1790;    m.  Susannah  Allyn;    2d,  Abigail 
Latham;    was  in  battle  of  Stonington,  1814;    state  sena- 
tor;   d.  March  31,  1882,  at  Ledyard. 
iv.     Benjamin  Franklin',  b.  Jan.  26,  1792;   m.  Julia  A.  Miner; 

d.  Feb.  27,  1848,  at  Mystic. 
V.      Susan  E.',  b.  Jan.  25,  1795;    m.  Capt.  Latham  Allyn;    2d, 

Adam  Larabee. 
vi.     Abigail',  b.  Nov.  15,  1796;   m.  Peter  Lester;   d.  May  22,  1866, 
at  Palmer,  N.  Y. 

338.  Sarah''  Avery  {Christovher^ ,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Aug.  7,  1761,  at  Groton;  bap.  May 
21,  1763,  at  her  father's  house  in  Preston ;  m.  Nathaniel  Hewitt, 
s.  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Babcock)  Hewitt.  He  was  b.  Feb.,  1763. 
He  d.  about  1831,  at  Coventry,  Vt. ;  she  d.  about  1833,  at  the 
same  place. 

Children  of  Nathaniel  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Hewitt,  b.  at  New 

London : 

i.       Nathaniel',  b.  Aug.  28,  1788;   m.  Rebecca  W.  Hillhouse;   2d, 
Susan    Elliot;     a    Congregational    minister;     d.    Feb.    3, 
1865,  at  Bridgeport, 
ii.      Sarah',  b.  Aug.  1,  1790;    m.  Angelus  Harmon;    d.  Sept.  24, 

1867,  at  Potsdam,  N.  Y. 

iii.     Nancy',  b.  July  22,  1792;    m.  Calvin  Harmon;    d.  Aug.  1, 

1878,  at  Potsdam, 
iv.     Joseph',  b.  May  5,  1794;   d.  at  sea;    unm. 
V.      Henry',  b.  Oct.  8,  1797;    m.  Alethea  F.  Brush;    d.  July  22, 

1868,  at  Potsdam. 

vi.     Mary  Prudence',  b.  May  16,   1800;    m.  Darius  Webb;    d. 
May  17,  1886,  at  Potsdam. 

340.  Isaac"  Avery  {Nathan^  Christopher*,  James^  James'', 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Aug.  23,  1747,  at  Groton;  m.  June  11,  1771, 


850. 

ii. 

851. 

iii. 

852. 

iv. 

V. 

vi. 

853. 

vii 

854. 

vii 

The  Sixth  Generation  285 

at  Stonington,  Lucy  Swan,  dau.  of  Timothy  and  Mary  (Smith) 
Swan.  She  was  b.  Jan.  17,  1749-50,  at  Stonington ;  d.  Dec.  30, 
1813,  at  Ledyard.    He  d.  Sept.  27,  1827,  at  Ledyard. 

Children  of  Isaac  and  Lucy  (Swan)  Avery,  b.  at  Ledyard: 
i.       Lucy',  b.  Jan.  18,  1773;    d.  May,  1775. 
Nathan',  b.  Sept.  21,  1775. 
Isaac',  b.  Jan.  14,  1777. 

Mary  H.',  b.  July  18,  1780;   m.  Elisha  Avery  (No.  761). 
Phebe',  b.  Feb.  18,  1783;    d.  Sept.  12,  1795,  ac  Ledyard. 
Wealthy',  b.  Sept.  19,  1785;   d.  May  12,  1795,  at  Ledyard. 
Christopher  Swan',  b.  Nov.  25,  1788. 
viii.  William  Wheeler',  b.  June  20,  1791. 

341.  Nathan''  Avery  (Nathan^,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Dec.  21,  1749,  at  Groton.  Mr. 
Sweet  said,  in  The  Averys  of  Groton,  that  he  probably  died 
young.  A  Nathan  Avery  is  said  to  have  married  Mary  Spicer, 
dau.  of  John  and  Mercy  (Chapman)  Spicer.  She  was  b.  Jan.  27, 
1753.  It  is  possible  that  this  Nathan  may  have  done  so,  as  the 
families  lived  near  each  other  in  that  part  of  Groton  called 
Poquetanuck,  now  Ledyard.  No  children.  He  probably  died 
soon  after  marriage. 

342.  Hannah  Mary*'  Avery  (Nathan^,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Feb.  28,  1752,  at  Stonington;  m. 
Roswell  Randall,  s.  of  John  and  Lucy  (Brown)  Randall.  He  was 
b.  July  18,  1756,  at  Stonington.  He  had  previously  married  her 
sister,  Phoebe  (No.  345).  He  d.  May  1,  1815,  at  Stonington.  She 
m.  2d,  May  3,  1816,  at  Stonington,  John  Randall,  brother  of  her 
first  husband.  He  was  b.  March  24,  1754,  at  Stonington.  He  d. 
Oct.  7,  1818,  at  Norwich,  N.  Y.  She  d.  Oct.  9,  1838,  at  Norwich, 
N.  Y.    No  children. 

343.  Luther**  Avery  (Nathan-',  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-  Christopher^)  was  b.  about  1754,  at  Stonington;  m.  Oct. 
13,  1782,  at  Stonington,  Mary  Wheeler,  dau.  of  Paul  and  Lucy 
(Swan)  Wheeler.  She  was  b.  Nov.  6,  1765,  at  Stonington.  He 
was  selectman  of  Stonington  from  1799  to  1802  inclusive.  He 
moved  to  Windham,  Conn.,  where  he  lived  the  latter  part  of  his 
life.  He  d.  Aug.,  1833;  she  d.  Jan.  15,  1853,  probably  at  Wind- 
ham. 


855. 

iii. 

856. 

iv. 

857. 

V. 

858. 

vi. 

859. 

vii 

860. 

vii 

286  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Children  of  Luther  and  Mary  (Wheeler)  Avery;    the  first 
eight  were  b.  at  Stonington : 

i.       Llther',  b.  June  27,  1784;    d.  Aug.  4,  1853;   unm. 
ii.      Nathans  b.  Dec.  19,  1786;    d.  April  11,  1848,  at  Stonington; 
unm. 
Paul  Wheeler',  b.  May  18,  1789. 
Polly',  b.  March  14,  1792. 
Alfred',  b.  Dec.  1,  1794. 
Phebe',  b.  March  7,  1797. 
Miranda',  b.  Feb.  7,  1800. 
viii.  William  Randall',  b.  March  18,  1802. 
ix.     Hannah  Emeline',  b.  Nov.  8,  1808,  probably  at  Windham; 
d.  Oct.  3,  1813. 

344.  Stephen"  Avery  {Nathan^,  Christopher^  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  13,  1756,  at  Stonington;  m. 
Dec.  9,  1781,  at  Stonington,  Anna  Wheeler,  dau.  of  Paul  and  Lucy 
(Swan)  Wheeler,  and  sister  of  the  wife  of  Luther  Avery  (No. 
343) .  She  was  b.  June  30,  1764,  at  Stonington.  Stephen  Avery 
was  in  the  Revolutionary  war ;  in  1776,  about  New  York ;  1780, 
in  the  Conn,  line  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  191).  The  following 
was  received  by  him  while  near  New  York,  and  is  preserved  by 
a  descendant : 

Stonington,  the  17th  of  September,  1776. 

Loving  Son :  I  hope  these  lines  will  overtake  you  and  find  you  well  as 
they  leave  us.  God's  goodness  be  acknowledged.  We  send  you  by 
Mr.  William  Sisson  a  little  ginger,  salt  and  paper  also,  that  you 
might  write  to  us.  Be  careful,  my  son,  to  presei've  your  health. 
Don't  let  your  mind  and  spirits  sink  under  trouble.  Labor  to  hope 
in  God  that  He  will  secure  and  save  you.  Send  up  your  prayers  to 
Him  daily.  Watch  against  all  sin  and  avoid  it.  Improve  your  time 
more  in  praying  for  deliverence  than  in  thinking  on  your  troubles. 
Discouragement  and  casting  down  are  very  detrimental  to  health. 
We  expect  you  to  go  through  great  hardships.  Our  prayers  are  to 
God  that  he  will  preserve  you,  give  victory  and  in  His  time  restore 
you. 

Let  our  friends  and  yours  see  this  letter,  for  I  give  them  the  same 
advice  .  .  .  [The  part  omitted  related  to  the  health  of  friends.] 
Write  if  you  are  sick  or  want  anything;  and  when  you  write,  any  of 
you,  so  write  that  we  may  have  news  of  more  than  one  at  a  time. 
These  from  your  loving  and  tender  and  affectionate  father  and 
mother  and  well  wishers  to  the  common  cause  and  friend  to  all  good 
people  engaged  in  it.  Nathan    Avery. 

Hannah  Avery. 


The  Sixth  Generation  287 

Stephen  Avery  was  town  clerk  of  Stonington  from  1791  to 
1807,  when  North  Stonington  was  set  off.  He  was  town  clerk  of 
North  Stonington  until  his  death.  He  was  selectman  in  1797; 
representative  in  1799.  His  wife  d.  Aug.  11,  1801;  he  m.  2d, 
Aug.  18,  1804,  at  Stonington,  Elizabeth  Morgan,  dau.  of  Capt. 
Israel  and  Elizabeth  (Brewster)  Morgan  and  granddaughter  of 
William  and  Temperance  (Avery)  Morgan  (No.  82).  She  was 
b.  Jan.  7,  1779,  at  Stonington.  Stephen  Avery  died  April  1, 
1828,  at  Stonington;  his  widow  died  Aug.  11,  1841,  at  Stoning- 
ton ;  all  were  buried  in  the  Old  Plain  burying-ground. 

Children  of  Stephen  and  Anna  (Wheeler)  Avery,  b.  at 
Stonington : 

861.  i.       Nancy',  b.  Dec.  29,  1783. 

862.  ii.      Stephen  Lyman',  b.  May  12,  1786. 

863.  iii.     Hannah  Mary',  b.  June  18,  1789. 

864.  iv.     RoswELL  Randall',  b.  Nov.  5,  1791. 

865.  V.      Charles  Grandison',  b.  April  9,  1796. 

vi.     Cyrus  Wheeler',  b.  Oct.  10,  1798;   d.  Feb.  12,  1884,  at  Ston- 
ington ;    unm. 

Children  of  Stephen  and  Elizabeth  (Morgan)  Avery,  b.  at 
Stonington : 

Eliza  Adeline',  b.  Nov.  17,  1805. 
Wealthy  Amira',  b.  Sept,  29,  1807. 

Roger  Griswold',  b.  Sept.  4,  1809;   d.  Dec.  31,  1885;   unm. 
Calvin  Goddard',  b.  Feb.  9,  1812;    d.  March  20,  1833;    unm. 
Alexander  Hamilton',  b.  June  28,  1814. 
Ralph  Hurlbut',  b.  April  22,  1816. 
vii.    Erastus  Randall',  b.  Aug.  8,  1818;    d.  Nov.  16,  1861;    unm. 
870.    viii.  Frances  Mary',  b.  Sept.  20,  1821, 

345.  Phoebe''  Avery  (Nathan^  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan..  10,  1758,  at  Stonmgton;  m. 
March  4,  1779,  at  Stonington,  Roswell  Randall,  s.  of  John  and 
Lucy  (Brown)  Randall.  He  was  b.  July  18,  1756,  at  Stonington. 
She  d.  Dec.  18,  1787,  at  Stonington,  without  children ;  he  m.  2d, 
her  sister,  Hannah  Mary  (No.  342) . 

346.  Wealthy"  Avery  {Natharv',  Christopher"^,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Oct.  5,  1772,  at  Stonington;  m. 
June  23,  1793,  at  Stonington,  Darius  Hewitt,  s.  of  Israel  and 
Tabitha  (Wheaton)  Hewitt.     He  was  b.  Oct.  28,  1771,  at  Ston- 


866. 

1, 

867. 

ii. 

iii. 

iv. 

868, 

v. 

869, 

vi. 

288  The   Groton  Avery   Clan 


ington;  died  about  1802.  She  m,  2d,  June  30,  1803,  at  Stoning- 
ton,  his  second  wife,  William  Randall,  s.  of  John  and  Lucy 
(Brown)  Randall.  He  was  b.  March  25,  1768,  at  Stonington. 
He  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  30th  regiment  of  Connecticut 
militia  during  the  war  of  1812 ;  was  at  the  battle  of  Stonington 
(Conn.  Men  in  the  Wa7'  of  1812)  ;  deputy  to  lower  house  of 
assembly,  1812,  1813,  1816,  1818,  1825 ;  member  of  the  upper 
house,  1822 ;  member  of  the  convention  that  framed  the  Con- 
necticut constitution  in  1818;  associate  county  judge  for  sixteen 
years;  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty-eight  years;  selectman 
for  eighteen  years ;  first  president  of  the  Stonington  bank.  His 
wife  d.  Dec.  29,  1805;  he  d.  June  17,  1841,  both  at  Stonington. 

Child  of  Darius  and  Wealthy  (Avery)  Hewitt,  b.  at  Stoning- 
ton : 

i.  Wealthy',  b.  Dec.  29,  1794;  m.  William  Randall,  s.  of  her 
step-father  by  his  first  wife;  d.  Sept.  24,  1869,  at  Ston- 
ington. 

Child  of  William  and  Wealthy  (Avery)  Randall,  b.  at  Ston- 
ington : 

i.       Eunice',  b.  Aug.  11,  1804;    m.  Ansel  Coats;    d.  March  28, 

1861. 

347.  Prudence''  Avery  (Isaac^,  Christopher^  James^, 
James\  Christopher'^)  was  b.  about  1743,  at  Groton.  She  is  men- 
tioned in  her  grandfather's  will  in  1751.  Did  she  marry  Thomas 
AUyn  in  1784  as  his  second  wife?  Thomas  Allyn,  s.  of  Ebenezer 
and  Mary  (Thurber)  Allyn,  and  grandson  of  Robert  and  Deb- 
orah (Avery)  Allyn  (No.  10),  m.  a  Prudence  Avery  who  d.  April 
22,  1785,  aged  43  years.    No  children. 

348.  Solomon"  Avery  (Jacob^,  Christopher*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher'^).  He  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war  with  his 
brothers,  Jacob  and  Constant,  in  Capt.  Gallup's  company  in  1776, 
and  was  killed  Sept,  17,  1776,  in  the  campaign  around  New  York 
(Conn.  Me7i  in  the  Rev'n,  100). 

349.  Jacob*^  Avery  (Jacob^,  Christopher*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  April  6,  1757,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  11,  1787, 
at  Brewster's  Neck  (Groton)  Mary  Elizabeth  Avery  (No.  707), 
dau.  of  James  and  Mary  (Comstock)  Avery.    She  was  b.  Jan.  2, 


876, 

1, 

877. 

ii. 

iii. 

878. 

iv. 

879. 

V. 

880. 

vi. 

The  Sixth  Generation  289 

1762,  at  Groton.  Jacob  Avery  served  in  Capt.  Gallup's  company, 
in  1776  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  100).  His  wife  d.  Dec,  1805, 
at  Ledyard;  he  m.  2d,  Sarah  Baker,  and  d.  July,  1810,  at  Led- 
yard.  In  the  distiibution  of  his  estate,  Oct.  11,  1822,  the  heirs 
were  daughter,  Sylvia ;  son,  Luther ;  daughter,  Priscilla,  wife  of 
Enoch  Lamb ;  daughter,  Mary  Avery ;  daughter.  Prudence,  wife 
of  Dudley  Avery ;  widow,  Sarah. 

Children  of  Jacob  and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

Prudence',  b.  Aug.  26,  1788. 

Sylvia',  b.  March  26,  1790. 

Solomon',  b.  May  31,  1792;    died  Sept.  31,  1792. 

Priscilla',  b.  July  17,  1793. 

Luther',  b.  Dec.  4,  1795. 

Mary',  b.  April  2,  1799. 

350.  Constant"  Avery  {Jacob^,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Nov.  14,  1758,  at  Groton;  m.  April 
3,  1796,  at  Groton,  Mrs.  Zipporah  (Chapman)  Williams,  dau.  of 
Joshua  and  Sarah  (LefRngwell)  Chapman  and  granddaughter  of 
Jonathan  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Leffingwell  (No.  86).  She  was  b. 
Jan.  25,  1773,  at  Groton.  He  was  in  Waterman  Cliffs  company, 
1775;  in  Col.  Swift's  regiment,  Aaron  Stevens's  company,  from 
May,  1777,  to  Feb.,  1780;  was  at  Germantown,  Valley  Forge, 
Monmouth,  Stony  Point,  and  on  the  Hudson  {Conn.  Men  m  the 
Rev'n,  75,  100,  220,  and  Pension  Application  on  file  at  Washing- 
ton). He  moved  to  Eaton,  N.  Y.,  1798,  bringing  one  child, 
Alfred,  not  living  in  1840.  They  had  at  Eaton  a  large  family  of 
children,  whom  they  reared  {Pension  Application) .  He  was  liv- 
ing with  D.  Avery  (probably  his  son)  in  1840.  He  died  Feb.  7, 
1844,  at  Eaton.    His  widow  was  alive  Oct.  5,  1848. 

Children  of  Constant  and  Zipporah  (Chapman)  Avery: 

i.       Alfred,  d.  before  1840. 

Other  Children  of  whom  we  have  no  definite  record. 

351.  Frederick"  Avery  {Jacob^,  Christopher*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  at  Groton;  m.  Elizabeth  Stoddard, 
dau.  of  Mortimer  and  Dorothy  (Parke)  Stoddard.  She  was  b. 
Jan.  26,  1769,  at  Groton.  March  23,  1793,  Fredt;rick  Avery 
deeded  to  his  brother.  Constant  Avery,  land  that  he  had  of  his 


290  The  Groton  Avery   Clan 

father,  Jacob  Avery  {Groton  Deeds,  12:111).  In  the  division  of 
the  estate  of  Mortimer  Stoddard,  Dec.  4,  1795,  the  heirs  were  the 
widow,  Dorothy  Stoddard;  children,  Mortimer,  Robert,  Roswell, 
Daniel,  Bathsheba,  Button,  Elizabeth  Avery,  Dorothy  Stoddard, 
and  Zipporah  Stoddard  {Norwich  Wills,  10:212).  March  30, 
1798,  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  Avery  deeded  away  land  that  they 
had  from  father,  Mortimer  Stoddard  {Groton  Deeds,  12:490). 
They  moved  to  North  Broadalbin,  N.  Y.,  about  1802. 

Children  of  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  (Stoddard)  Avery,  b. 
at  Groton : 

890.  1.       Solomon'. 

891.  ii.      Alanson'. 

892.  iii.     Frederick',  b.  Oct.  4,  1796. 

893.  iv.     Dolly'. 

352.  Cyrus''  Avery  {Jacob'\  Christopher^  James^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  was  living  at  Groton  in  March  26,  1798,  at  which 
time,  he  and  his  brother,  Jacob,  agreed  to  take  care  of  their  par- 
ents, Jacob  and  Sylvia  Avery,  during  their  natural  lives.  He 
moved  to  Eaton,  N.  Y.     His  wife's  name  was  probably  Polly. 

354.  Prudence"  Avery  {Jacob^,  Christopher^  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  m.  Gilbert  Eddy,  s.  of  Devotion  and 
Mary  (Sherman)  Eddy.  He  was  b.  Jan.  23,  1761.  He  served  on 
his  father's  privateer;  was  captured  and  imprisoned  at  Halifax 
for  a  year  in  the  Revolution ;  w^as  at  Bennington  and  Saratoga ; 
general  of  a  division  in  New  York  in  the  war  of  1812 ;  was  a 
presidential  elector;  lived  in  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.  He  died 
in  1846  {Eddy  Genealogy) . 

Children  of  Gilbert  and  Prudence  (Avery)  Eddy: 

i.       Russell',  b.  April  23,  1787,  at  Pittstown,  N.  Y.;    m.  Ruth 
Ann  Wells;    2d,  Abby  M.  Kimball;    paymaster  in  army, 
1812;    d.  July  2,  1871. 
ii.      Eliza',  m.  Jacob  DeForest;    d.  in  Missouri, 
iii.     Sybil',  m.  Nathaniel  Bansalt. 
iv.     Tisdale'. 
V.      Mary'. 

355.  Polly"  Avery  {Jacob^,  Christopher*,  James-,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  May  10,  1775,  at  Groton;  m.  April  3,  1796, 
at  Groton,  Elisha  Satterlee,  s.  of  Jonas  and  Lydia  (Geer)  Satter- 


The  Sixth  Generation  291 

lee.    He  was  b.  Oct.  29,  1772,  at  Groton ;  was  a  sea  captain.    She 
d.  Sept.  29,  1846 ;  he  d.  May  18,  1859,  both  at  Ledyard. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Polly  (Avery)  Satterlee,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

i.       Lydia  Geer',  b.  Nov.  8,  1798;   m.  Samuel  Geer  AUyn;   d.  July 

23,  1872. 

ii.      Elisha  Avery"  b.  Nov.  10,  1800;    m.  Hester  Stoddard;    d. 

March  27,  1879,  at  Gale's  Ferry, 
iii.     Jonas',  b.  March  28,  1803;    m.  Caroline  Tatem;    d.  May  18, 

1840,  at  Ledyard. 
iv.     Susan',  b.  June  25,   1805;    m.   Frank  Kimball;    d.  July  8, 

1895,  at  Vernon, 
v.     Julia  Ann",  b.  March  15,  1808;    m.  John  Satterlee;    d.  Jan. 

24,  1886,  at  Tolland. 

vi.     DwiGHT    Alden',    b.    April    17,    1814;     m.    Charity    Hibbard 
Stoddard;    d.  Jan.  7,  1901,  at  Tolland. 

358.  Mary*^  Avery  (JonatJia7i^,  Jonathan*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  bap.  March  24,  1728,  First  Church  of  Groton. 
We  are  not  able  to  give  her  record.  The  following  has  been  sug- 
gested as  the  probable  record,  but  of  it  we  have  no  proof. 

A  Mary  Avery  and  a  William  Edwards,  both  of  Preston, 
were  married  there  May  31,  1745.  They  had  the  following  chil- 
dren, as  recorded  on  the  town  books  of  Preston : 

i.  Jasper',  b.  Feb.  29,  1748. 

ii.  Kendall',  b.  Nov.  28,  1749. 

iii.  Mary',  b.  Aug.  25,  1751. 

iv.  Cyrus',  b.  Aug.  13,  1753, 

v.  Pelig',  b.  March  5,  1755. 

359.  Oliver''  Avery  {Jonathan/',  Jonathan*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  bap.  March  23,  1729,  First  Church  of  Groton; 
m.  March  29,  1753,  at  Greenfield,  Mass.,  Sarah  Corse,  dau.  of 
James  and  Thankful  (Munn)  Corse.  She  was  b.  May  21,  1735. 
He  m.  2d,  Abigail  Sayers.  He  moved  to  Charlemont,  Mass., 
about  1754,  and  purchased  a  tract  of  land  a  mile  in  length  along 
the  Deerfield  River.  The  following  account  of  his  military  serv- 
ice is  taken  from  the  records  of  Williamstown  and  the  muster 
rolls  at  Boston : 

Oliver  Avery,  Oct.  31,  1748,  sentinel,  from  Deerfield,  under  Lieut.  Elisha 
Hawley,  at  Fort  Massachusetts;  Nov.  2,  1748,  April  6,  1749,  Dec. 
11,  1749,  Jan.  13,  1750,  June  3,  1750,  June  2,  1751,  Jan.  6,  1753,  senti- 


The  Sixth  Generation  293 

nel  under  Capt.  Ephraim  Williams,  at  Fort  Massachusetts;  Nov.  11, 
1754,  corporal,  under  Elisha  Chapin;  1755,  corporal,  under  Ephraim 
Williams;  1756,  sentinel,  under  Israel  Williams,  Charlemont;  March 
9,  1757,  ensign,  under  Capt.  John  Burk;  Jan.  31,  1757,  sergeant, 
under  Capt.  Israel  Williams,  Colrain,  also  Dec,  1757,  and  1758; 
Nov.  12,  1759,  private,  under  Capt.  Samuel  Wells,  Charlemont;  Jan. 
23,  1760,  sentinel,  under  Lieut.  Seth  Pomeroy,  West  Hoosick. 

At  Fort  Salem,  Nov.  14,  1747,  he  was  one  of  ascouting  party ;  he 
fell  with  a  fractured  thigh,  but  shot  the  Indian  who  attempted 
to  scalp  him  and  painfully  worked  his  way  back  to  the  fort.  His 
son,  Walter,  was  carried  to  Canada  by  the  Indians.  His  wife 
with  an  infant  daughter  took  refuge  in  a  hollow  log  and  escaped. 
He  drew  lot  No.  55  at  West  Hoosic,  but  was  driven  off  by  the 
Indians.  (See  A.  L.  Perry's  Origins  m  Williamstotvn) .  On  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Revolution,  he  raised  a  company  of  minute- 
men  and  marched  to  Boston.  In  1780,  he  built  the  historic  house 
that  is  still  standing  in  Charlemont  in  good  repair. 

He  d.  June  27,  1815;  his  wife,  Abigail,  d.  Feb.  11,  1820,  both 
at  Charlemont,  Mass. 

Children  of  Oliver  and  Sarah  (Corse)  Avery,  b.  at  Charle- 
mont : 

i.       Oliver^  b.  June  8,  1754;    drowned;    unm. 
ii.      Sarah',  b.  Dec.  1,  1755;   d.  Aug.  5,  1757. 

911.  iii.     Walter',  b.  July  7,  1757. 

iv.     Lucy',  b.  Sept.  7,  1758;   d.  Aug.  19,  1777. 

v.      Elizabeth',  b.  June  27,  1760;    d.  Aug.  7,  1777. 

vi.    Jonathan',  b.  Feb.  25,  1762;   d.  Aug.  11,  1777. 

Children  of  Oliver  and  Abigail  (Sayers)  Avery,  b.  at  Charle- 
mont: 

912.  i.       Lois',  b.  April  11,  1763. 

ii.      John',  b.  March  20,  1764;   d.  Aug.  11,  1777. 

913.  iii.     Mary',  b.  July  2,  1765. 

914.  iv.     Eunice',  b.  Feb.  7,  1767;   m.  Amos  Avery  (No.  370). 

361.  Lemuel'^  Avery  (Jonathan^,  Jonathan*,  James^,  James"^, 
Christopher^)  was  bap.  April  1,  1733,  First  Church  of  Groton. 
His  name  appears  on  the  muster  rolls  of  the  company  commanded 
by  Ephraim  Williams  at  Fort  Massachusetts,  1749 ;  also  1750, 
1751,  1754.  In  the  drawing  of  house  lots  at  Williamstown,  he 
drew  lot  No.  25. 


294  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


363.  Caron*^  Avery  (Abner^,  Jonathan"^,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  July  3,  1743,  at  Montville;  m.  Charles 
Randall;  2d,  Stephen  Chappell.  The  names  of  the  children  are 
taken  from  her  father's  will  {Netu  London  Wills,  1:178).  She 
d.  before  June  18,  1771. 

Children  of  Charles  and  Caron  (Avery)  Randall: 

i.         HUMILITY^ 

ii.     Amy'. 
Child  of  Stephen  and  Caron  (Avery)  Chappell : 
i.      Lydia'. 

364.  AbeP  Avery  (Abner\  Jonathan*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)   was  b.  May  29,  1745,  at  Montville;    m.    Rebecca 

.    In  his  will,  made  Aug.  24,  and  proved  Dec.  8,  1772,  he 

mentioned  brothers,  Elisha,  Jonathan,  and  Amos;  sisters.  Amy 
Randall,  and  Margaret  Vibber;  wife,  Rebecca,  to  whom  he  left 
her  third.  He  had  land  in  the  Susquehanna  country  and  at  Otter 
Creek.    He  probably  left  no  children. 

365.  Amy*'  Avery  {Abner\  Jonathan^  James^,  James-, 
Christoj)her')  was  b.  July  25,  1747,  at  Montville;  m.  Jan.,  1762, 
Benjamin  Randall,  s.  of  Benjamin  and  Ruth  (Brown)  Randall, 
of  Colchester.  He  was  b.  July  20,  1742.  She  d.  Sept.  3,  1791 ;  he 
d.  Sept.  9,  1828,  both  at  Shelburne,  Mass. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Amy  (Avery)  Randall: 

i.  Avery',  b.  Dec.  18,  1762,  at  Colchester;  m.  Hopeful  Briggs; 
d.  June  11,  1823,  at  Clayton,  N.  Y. 

ii.  Abel',  b.  April  18,  1765,  at  Colchester;  m.  Salome  Pike;  d. 
Aug.  8,  1756,  at  Bolton. 

iii.  Sarah',  b.  Aug.  10,  1767,  at  Colchester;  m.  Church  Man- 
dell;    d.  1794,  at  Shelburne,  Mass. 

iv.  Russell',  b.  June  19,  1770;  m.  Lucy  Otis;  2^,  Pernal  Odds; 
3d,  Mrs.  Hannah  (Cheever)  Dewey;  d.  Aug.  28,  1847,  at 
Loraine,  Mass. 

V.  Karon',  b.  Nov.  20,  1772,  at  Colchester;  m.  Ephraim  Jen- 
nings;   d.  Jan.  2,  1854,  at  Ellisburg,  N.  Y. 

vi.  Hubbard',  b.  May  7,  1775,  at  Colchester;  m.  Mary  Jennings; 
2d,  Rebecca  Bigelow. 

vii.  Jared',  b.  March  26,  1778,  at  Shelburne,  Mass.;  m.  Mehitabel 
Rogers;    d.  April  16,  1816,  at  Lenox,  Mass. 


The  Sixth  Generation  295 

viii.  Benjamin',  b.  Dec.  8,  1781,  at  Shelburne;   m.  Lydia  Worden; 

d.  Feb.  28,  1848,  at  Ellisburg,  N.  Y. 
ix.     Ruel',  b.   Oct.   11,   1785,  at   Shelburne;    m.   Margaret  Ann 

Middleton;    d.  Oct.  2,  1810,  at  Rutland,  N.  Y. 

366.  Elihu''  Avery  (Abner^',  Jonatha^i*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  25,  1749,  at  Montville;  m.  Dec.  15, 
1774,  at  Bozrah,  Mary  Gardner,  dau.  of  Jonathan  and  Mary 
(Houghton)  Gardner.  The  division  of  the  estate  of  Mary,  widow 
of  Jonathan  Gardner,  of  Bozrah,  Sept.  28,  1797,  gave  Mary,  wife 
of  Elihu  Avery,  as  one  of  the  heirs  (Nortvich  Wills,  9  :351) . 

367.  Margaret"   Avery    {Ahner^,  Jonathan'^,  James^,  James-, 

Christo'pher^)  was  b.  Dec.  15,  1750,  at  Montville;   m.  

Vibber,   probably  John,  s.  of  John  Vibber  of  New  London.      He 
was  b.  June  8,  1740,  at  New  London. 

369.     Jonathan'"   Avery    (Abner^,  Jonathan*,  James^,  James^, 

Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  10,  1755,  at  Montville;   m.  Dec.  11, 

1782,  Pamelia  Fox,  dau.  of  Elisha  and  Anna  (Fitch)  Fox.    She 

was  b.  Nov.  14,  1763,  at  Montville. 

Jonathan  Avery  of  Enfield  and  pamelia  fox  of  New  London  married 
Dec.  11,  1782   (Enfield  Records). 

Jonathan  Avery  was  orderly  sergeant  in  Capt.  James  Chap- 
man's company,  New  London,  fifth  company,  sixth  regiment,  Col. 
Samuel  Holden  Parsons.  He  enlisted  May  8,  1775;  was  in  the 
Boston  camps;  in  the  siege  of  New  York,  at  White  Plains,  and 
at  New  Castle.  He  was  a  pensioner  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
640,  and  Pension  Application) .  The  first  date  in  his  orderly  book 
is  Aug.  13,  1776;  the  last,  Nov.  2,  1776,  at  New  Castle.  The 
book  is  in  the  possession  of  his  granddaughter,  Julia  M.  Avery. 
After  the  war,  he  settled  at  Enfield  and,  in  1799,  removed  to 
Charlemont,  Mass.  He  was  a  hatter  by  trade ;  a  man  of  wit  and 
brilliancy.  He  d.  June  14,  1847 ;  his  tombstone  at  East  Charle- 
mont bears  the  inscription :  "A  soldier  of  the  Revolution."  His 
widow  d.  July  20,  1853,  at  East  Charlemont. 

Children  of  Jonathan  and  Pamelia  (Fox)  Avery: 

936.  i.       ELISHA^  b.  Nov.  14,  1783,  at  Enfield. 

937.  ii.      Samuel",  b.  Feb.  11,  1786,  at  Enfield. 

938.  iii.     Pamelia',  b.  Jan.  21,  1788,  at  Enfield. 


296  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

939.  iv.  Amy',  b,  Jan.  16,  1790,  at  Enfield. 

940.  V.  Almira',  b.  Jan.  28,  1792,  at  Enfield. 

941.  vi.  Jonathan',  b.  April  27,  1794,  at  Enfield. 

942.  vii.  Annis',  b.  April  13,  1796,  at  Enfield. 

943.  viii.  Amos',  b.  May  29,  1798,  at  Charlemont,  Mass. 

944.  ix.  Amanda  Scoxr,  b.  April  13,  1800,  at  Charlemont. 

945.  X.  Elihu',  b.  Feb.  16,  1802,  at  Charlemont. 

946.  xi.  Maria',  b.  March  31,  1804,  at  Charlemont. 

370.  Amos''  Avery  (Abner^,  Jonathan^  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  10,  1758,  at  Montville;  m.  Jan.  30, 
1782,  Azubah  Hawkes,  who  soon  died.  He  m.  2d,  Sept.  25,  1783, 
at  Charlemont,  Mass.,  Eunice  Avery,  (No.  914),  dau.  of  Oliver 
and  Abigail  (Sayers)  Avery.  She  was  b.  Feb.  7,  1767,  at  Charle- 
mont, Mass.  In  a  deed  of  land  on  the  Deerfield  River,  given  by 
Oliver  Avery,  Oct.  31,  1783,  Amos  Avery  was  called  cordwainer 
{Springfield  Deeds,  24:448).  He  d.  June  15,  1818;  she  d.  April 
2,  1854,  both  at  East  Charlemont,  Mass. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Eunice  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at  East 
Charlemont,  Mass. : 

i.  Azuba',  b.  June  16,  1784;   d.  Oct.  29,  1785. 

947.  ii.  Abner',  b.  Oct.  19,  1786. 

948.  iii.  Betsey'. 

949.  iv.  Charlotte',  b.  Oct.  19,  1788. 

950.  V.  Rebecca',  b.  June  6,  1790;   d.  Dec.  14,  1879. 

951.  vi.  Eunice',  b.  Feb.  25,  1792. 

vii.    Abigail',  b.  Aug.  25,  1793;   d.  Jan.  2,  1873. 

952.  viii.  Lois',  b.  April  24,  1795. 

953.  ix.     Oliver',  b.  May  3,  1797. 

X.      John',  b.  April  19,  1799;   a  physician;    d.  unm. 

954.  xi.     Abel',  b.  Feb.  3,  1801. 

955.  xii.  Freelove',  b.  Aug.  20,  1803. 

956.  xiii.  David',  b.  Jan.  19,  1805. 

957.  xiv.  Amos',  b.  Jan.  19,  1807. 

958.  XV.  Lucretia',  b.  Oct.  1809. 

372.  Freelove"  Avery  (Abner^,  Jonathan*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  m.  John  Nichols. 

373.  Lucy''  Avery  (Abner^,  Jonathan*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  m.  Daniel  Denison,  s.  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth 
(Andross)  Denison.  He  was  b.  Jan.,  1772;  d.  Feb.  5,  1841,  at 
German  Flats,  N.  Y. 


The  Sixth  Generation  297 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Denison,  b.  at  German 
Flats,  N.  Y.  : 

i.  JoHN^  died  young. 

ii.  Phebe',  m.  J.  B.  Martin;    d.  1823. 

iii.  George',  b.  Jan.  26,  1799;   m.  Lucy  Ford;   d.  Sept.  7,  1872,  in 

McHenry  Co.,  111. 

iv.  Lucy',  m.  Turner  Peterson;    d.  1835. 

V.  Sally',  m.  Alvin  Ford, 

vi.  Emeline',  m.  Stephen  Josselyn. 

384.  Gardner''  Avery  {Beyijamhv',  Joseph*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  bap.  Sept.  22,  1751,  Second  Church  of  Pres- 
ton, now  Griswold;  m.  Ama  Newell,  dau.  of  Abijah  and  Hepsibah 
(Curtis)  Newell.  Ama  Newell  (Abijah%  Benjamin^,  Isaac^, 
Isaac-,  Abraham^)  was  b.  June  26,  1756.  Gardner  Avery  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier;  marched  to  Roxbury,  1775,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  British  left  Boston,  when  he  went  to  New  York; 
re-enlisted  in  1776,  under  Capt.  Ball,  Col.  Larned;  was  in  the 
siege  of  New  York;  was  a  pensioner  under  the  law  of  1818 
(Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  and  Pension  Application).  He  was  a 
farmer  at  Monson,  Mass.,  but  moved  to  Sauquoit,  N.  Y.,  in  1810. 
His  wife  d.  Dec.  27,  1831 ;  he  d.  Dec.  28,  1831.  They  were  buried 
in  the  same  grave,  December  29,  having  lived  together  in  wedlock 
fifty-nine  years. 

Children  of  Gardner  and  Ama  (Newell)  Avery,  b.  at  Mon- 
son, Mass. : 

967.  i.  Gardner^  b.  Dec.  17,  1773. 

968.  ii.  Stephen',  b.  Oct.  17,  1775. 

969.  iii.  Hannah',  b.  Jan.  29,  1778. 

970.  iv.  Benjamin',  b.  March  19,  1780. 

971.  V.  Betsey',  b.  Dec.  30,  1783. 

972.  vi.  Calvin',  b.  April  24,  1785. 

973.  vii.  Anson',  b.  Oct.  17,  1786. 

974.  viii.  John',  b.  Dec.  7,  1788. 

ix.     Lyman',  b.  Dec.  5,  1790;    d.  March  23,  1809. 

975.  X.      Amy',  b.  April  30,  1793. 

976.  xi.     Charles',  b.  July  30,  1795. 

xii.    Sophia',  b.  Feb.  5,  1798;   d.  March  28,  1799. 

977.  xiii.  Sophia',  b.  March  22,  1800. 

978.  xiv.  Jared  Newell',  b.  Feb.  26,  1803. 


298  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

385.  Hannah*'  Avery  (Benjamin%  Joseph\  James^,  James'-, 
Christopher^)  was  bap.  April  14,  1754,  Second  Church  of  Pres- 
ton, now  Griswold;  m.  Dec.  24,  1772,  at  Griswold,  Edward  Mills 
of  Groton. 

386.  Lucy*'  Avery  (Benjamin^,  Joseph*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher'')  was  bap.  Aug.  29,  1756,  Second  Church  of  Pres- 
ton, now  Griswold ;  m.  June  22,  1780,  at  Preston,  James  Bennett, 
s.  of  James  and  Mary  Bennett.  He  was  b.  June  25,  1745,  at 
Preston. 

387.  Benjamin*'  Avery  (Benjamin^,  Joseph*,  James% 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  March  4,  1758;  bap.  July  11,  1759, 
Second  Church  of  Preston,  now  Griswold ;  m.  Anna  Foote,  dau. 
of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Lyon)  Foote.  She  was  b.  Oct.  16,  1757, 
After  her  death,  he  m.  a  Miss  Lucy  Dickinson.  He  enlisted  in 
1776  for  the  Canada  campaign,  under  Capt.  Oliver  Parmelee; 
May,  1777,  under  Capt.  Nathan  Stoddard,  for  two  years;  Dec, 
1779,  under  Capt.  Munson,  for  three  years.  He  was  at  German- 
town,  Monmouth,  and  Stony  Point ;  received  a  certificate  of 
merit ;  was  pensioned  in  1820.  In  his  application  for  pension,  he 
stated  that,  in  1818,  he  lived  at  Bethlehem,  Conn. ;  that  he  had 
wife,  Lucy,  aged  56 ;  children,  Sally,  aged  28,  and  Julia  M.,  aged 
14  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  232,  346,  and  Pension  Application) , 
He  d.  May  4,  1843,  at  Lyons,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Anna  (Foote)  Avery: 

979.  i.       Cyrus',  b.  March  29,1784,  at  Watertown. 
ii.      Benjamin';    d.  at  sea;   unm. 

iii.  Lucy',  d.  unm. 

980.  iv.  Joseph'. 

981.  V.  Sarah',  b.  July  26,  1793,  at  Watertown. 

982.  vi.  Mary'. 

983.  vii.  Ann'. 

Child  of  Benjamin  and  Lucy  (Dickinson)  Avery: 

984.  i.       Julia  M.',  m.  Drake;    d.  1830. 

388.  Roger''  Avery  {Benjamhv',  Joseph*,  James^\  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  April  14,  1761,  Second  Church  of  Pres- 
ton, now  Griswold ;  m.  at  Watertown,  Elizabeth  Foote,  dau.  of 
Samuel  and  Mary  (Lyon)  Foote.    She  was  b.  July  1,  1755.    He 


The  Sixth  Generation 


299 


enlisted  in  Capt.  Sanford's  company,  eighth  Conn,  reg't,  1777, 
for  three  years;  in  fifth  reg't,  under  Capt.  Richard  Douglass, 
Jan.  1,  1781,  to  Dec  1784 ;  a  pensioner  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
232,  349,  354,  364).  About  1784,  he  moved  to  Cornwall,  Vt. 
Either  he  was  in  the  war  of  1812  or  he  had  a  son,  Roger,  whose 
birth  does  not  appear  of  record.  In  1814,  Roger,  John,  Daniel, 
and  Abiram  Avery,  all  of  Cornwall,  Vt.,  marched  to  Plattsburg, 
under  Capt.  Edmund  Hill.  His  wife  d.  Feb.  7,  1839,  at  Royalton, 
N.  Y. ;  he  d.  Nov.  12,  1841,  at  Orangeport,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Roger  and  Elizabeth  (Foote)  Avery,  b.  at  Corn- 
wall, Vt. 

Roger'  (?). 

Betsey',  b.  Jan.  26,  1785. 

John",  b.  Sept.  4,  1786. 

Lucy',  b.  Dec.  4,  1787. 

Polly',  b.  Nov.  14,  1790. 

Harry",  b.  Sept.  12,  1792;    d.  Feb.  28,  1813,  at  Cornwall,  Vt. 
vii.    Daniel',  b.  April  26,  1794. 

991.  viii.  Abiram',  b.  Sept,  8,  1796. 

992.  ix.     James',  b.  April  5,  1798. 


985. 
986. 
987. 
988. 
989.  vi. 
vi. 
990. 


1. 
ii. 

V. 


390.  Benjamin'^  Avery  {Benjamin^,  Benjamin*,  James^^ 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Nov.  25,  1776,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec. 
27,  1807,  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  Mercy  Capen.  She  was  b. 
Aug.  20,  1787.  He  was  one  of  the  party  that  settled  Aurora, 
N.  Y.  She  d.  March  29,  1836;  he  d.  Jan.  31,  1866,  at  Ledyard,, 
N.  Y. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Mercy  (Capen)  Avery: 

Lucy',  b.  Nov.  17,  1808,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y. ;   d.  Jan.  13,  1836. 

Alfred',  b.  Oct.  3,  1810,  at  Aurora. 

Maria',  b.  Nov.  16,  1812,  at  Aurora. 

Benjamin',  b.  Nov.  10,  1815,  at  Aurora;    d.  March  29,  1870; 

unm. 
William',  b.  Jan.  29,  1818,  at  Aurora;    d.  Jan.  13,  1819. 
Edwin',  b.  Aug.  29,  1820,  at  Ledyard;    d.   Sept.  20,   1840;; 

unm. 
Edgar',  b.  Aug.  29,  1820,  at  Ledyard. 
viii.  Charles',  b.  May  23,  1823,  at  Ledyard. 
ix.     Henry,'  b.  Oct.  27,  1827,  at  Ledyard;    d.  Aug.  10,  1831. 

391.  David"  Avery  {Benjamin^,  Benjamin*,  James^,  James^,. 
Christopher^)  was  b.  May  8,  1779,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb,  25,  1808, 
at  Groton,  Fanny  Avery  (No.  1718), dau.  of  Ebenezer  and  Hannah. 


993. 

1, 

994. 

ii. 

995. 

iii. 

iv. 

V. 

vi. 

996. 

vii 

997. 

vii 

\ 


300  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

(Morgan)  Avery.  She  was  b.  April  22,  1788,  at  Groton.  David 
Avery  was  one  of  the  settlers  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  in  1795.  Among 
the  others  were  Hezekiah  Avery,  Ebenezer  Avery,  Dudley  Avery, 
and  Benjamin  Avery.  The  party  went  by  way  of  Long  Island 
Sound  and  the  Hudson  River,  reaching  Albany  after  a  trip  of 
sixteen  days.  From  Albany,  they  crossed  the  Mohawk,  bought 
bateaux,  and  worked  their  way  up  the  river.  At  Fort  Schuyler, 
they  found  two  log  houses ;  at  Fort  Stanwix,  they  reached  the 
head  of  canoe  navigation.  Thence  their  goods  and  boats  were 
hauled  through  the  woods  thirty  miles.  He  returned  to  Groton 
for  a  wife  and  brought  her  back  in  a  chaise.  He  was  made 
ensign  in  Col.  Henry  Hewitt's  reg't,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1806; 
lieut.,  1809;  quartermaster,  1811;  brigade  quartermaster,  1812 
{Military  Records  of  N.  Y.,178Jf-1821,  pp.  821,  1034,  1179,  1296). 
He  lived  in  the  part  of  Scipio,  N.  Y.,  that  since  1823  has  been 
called  Venice.  There  their  children  were  born  and  there  they 
died,  he,  Nov.  27,  1866,  and  she,  March  30,  1869. 
Children  of  David  and  Fanny  (Avery)  Avery: 


998. 

999. 

1000. 


.       Nancy^  b.  Oct.  16,  1808. 

i.      HAMILTON^  b.  April  11,  1811. 

ii.     Fanny',  b.  March  24,  1814. 


392.  Thankful"  Avery  (Benjamin^,  Benjamin*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  Jan.  31,  1784,  at  Groton;  m.  April 
6,  1806,  at  Ledyard,  N.  Y.,  James  Atwater,  s.  of  John  and  Susan- 
nah (Goodyear)  Atwater  of  Hamden,  Conn.  He  was  b.  Feb.  27, 
1785,  at  Hamden.  He  was  teacher,  farmer,  and  store-keeper  at 
Ithaca,  N.  Y.  She  d.  May  17,  1870,  at  Waverly,  N.  Y. ;  he  d.  Jan. 
6,  1876,  at  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  James  and  Thankful  (Avery)  Atwater: 

i.       Nelson",  b.  April  8;    d.  April  14,  1807,  at  Milton,  N.  Y. 

ii.      Leonard',  b.  Nov.  25,  1808,  at  Virgil,  N.  Y.;   m.  Anna  Maria 

Chatterton;    d.  Aug.  12,  1889,  at  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 
iii.     Harriet',  b.  June  30,  1810,  at  Genoa,  N.  Y.;    d.  April  29, 

1831,  at  Ithaca, 
iv.     Nancy',  b.  Sept.  8,  1811,  at  Aurelius,  N.  Y.;    m.  John  R. 

Mitchell;    d.  at  Ludlowville,  N.  Y. 
V.     William  Van  Ness',  b.  Sept.  24,  1813,  at  Aurelius,  N.  Y.; 

d.  at  Waverly,  N.  Y. 
vi.     Benjamin  Avery',  b.  Sept.  9,  1815,  at  Genoa,  N.  Y.;    m. 
Sarah  Ann  Phillips;    d.  Nov.  5,  1883,  at  Ithaca. 


The  Sixth  Generation  301 

vii.    Franklin',  b.  July  10,  1817,  at  Lansing,  N.  Y.;   d.  at  Ithaca, 
viii.  Dewitt  Clinton',  b.  July  30,  1819,  at  Lansing,  N.  Y.;    m. 

Sarah  Tichenor;    was  a  merchant,  supervisor,  alderman, 

trustee   of    Presbyterian   church;     d.    Oct.    19,    1899,   at 

Waverly,  N.  Y. 
ix.     Fanny',  b.  Oct.  6,  1821,  at  Lansing,  N.  Y, 
X.      David  Denison',  b.  Sept.  23,  1823,  at  Ithaca;    m.  Olive  S. 

Simon;    living  at  Cortland,  N.  Y.,  in  1900. 
xi.     Mary",  b.  July  25,   1825,  at  Ithaca;    d.  April  29,   1879,  at 

Ithaca, 
xii.    Edward',  b.  May  10,  1828,  at  Ithaca, 
xiii.  RuFUS  King',  b.  Feb.  26,  1830,  at  Ithaca;   m.  Sarah  Ledyard 

Jones;    d.  Dec.  6,  1887,  at  Riverside,  Cal. 

393.  Lydia*^  A\ery  (Benjamin^,  £enjamin\  James^,  James^, 
Christopher'')  was  b.  June  7,  1786,  at  Groton ;  m.  Feb.  6,  1806,  at 
Ledyard,  N.  Y.,  Consider  King,  s.  of  Consider  and  Sarah  (Pal- 
mer) King.  He  was  b.  May  23,  1774,  at  Rochester,  Mass.  He 
was  a  physician.  He  d.  Aug.  19,  1848  ;  she  d.  Sept.  11,  1865,  both 
at  Hartford,  Wisconsin. 

Children  of  Consider  and  Lydia   (Avery)   King,  b.  at  Led- 
yard, N.  Y. : 

i.       Sally',  b.  Nov.  14,  1806;    m.  Gordon  Hayes;    d.  April  29, 

1876,  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
ii.      Mary  Ann',  b.  March  4,  1808;    m.  John  Wilcox;    d.  Jan.  31, 

1891,  at  Hartford,  Wis. 
iii.     Harriet',  b.  Jan.  29,  1810;   m.  Henry  Chase, 
iv.     Richard  Talcott',  b.  May  23,  1813;    m.  Hannah  Bryant;    d. 

Jan.  5,  1863,  at  Sherwood,  N.  Y. 
V.      Benjamin  Avery',  b.  March  14,  1815;    m.  Pheoe  Raymond; 

d.  March  21,  1893,  at  Hillsdale,  Mich, 
vi.     Lydia',  b.  July  24,  1817;   m.  Joseph  Sisson;    d.  Sept.  8,  1875, 

at  Kings  Ferry,  N.  Y. 
vii.    Maria',  b.  Aug.  19,  1819;    unm. 
viii.  Eliza',  b.  Sept.  29,  1823;    m.  Lawrence  B.  Walls;    d.  March 

13,  1874,  at  Prescott,  Wis. 
ix.     Consider',  b.  June  23,  1829;    m.  Sally  Coy;    d.  Oct.  21,  1888, 

at  Martelle,  Wis. 

394.  Daniel"  Avery  {Daniel^,  Benjamin*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  18,  1766,  at  Groton  ;  m.  Nov.  28,  1790, 
at  Groton,  Lydia  Avery  (No.  756),  dau.  of  Ebenezer  and  Eliza- 
beth (Greene)  Avery.  She  was  b.  April  4,  1773,  at  Groton;  d. 
Sept.  14,  1797,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y.    Daniel  Avery  m.  2d,  Jan.  20, 


302  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

1799,  at  Hartford,  Abigail  Smith,  dau.  of  Moses  and  Mabel  (Sey- 
mour) Smith  of  Hartford.  She  was  b.  April  9,  1780 ;  d.  July  22, 
1817,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y.  He  m.  3d,  Sept.  22,  1823,  Freelove 
Mitchell,  dau.  of  John  and  Ruth  (Harris)  Mitchell.  She  was  b. 
Jan.  4,  1808,  at  Ballston,  N.  Y. ;  d.  April  20,  1841,  at  Aurora, 
N.  Y.  He  was  appointed  ensign  in  6th  co.,  8th  reg't,  Connecticut 
militia,  May,  1791;  lieut.,  1792;  capt..  May,  1794  {Ms.  State 
Papers,  Hartford).  He  was  one  of  the  party  that  emigrated  to 
Aurora  in  1795  and  at  once  took  an  active  part  in  the  new  settle- 
ment. He  represented  the  eighth  district  in  the  twelfth  con- 
gress; the  twentieth  district  in  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth 
congresses.  He  was  the  only  man  in  the  New  York  delegation  to 
vote  for  war  with  Great  Britain.  He  was  one  of  the  commission- 
ers of  the  land  office  at  Albany  for  twenty  years.  He  d.  Jan.  30, 
1842,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Lydia  (Avery)  Avery: 

Alfred",  b.  Aug.  12,  1791,  at  Groton. 

Emily  Caroline',  b.  July  2,  1793;    m.  Samuel  William  Avery 

(No.  635). 
Edwin',  b.  Aug.  22,  1795. 
Daniel  Lewis',  b.  Aug.  31,  1797. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Abigail  (Smith)  Avery,  b.  at  Aurora, 

N.  Y.: 

i.       Sidney   Smith',  b.   June  23,   1800;    d.   April   14,   1869,  at 
Aurora ;    unm. 
Benjamin  Franklin',  b.  Dec.  3,  1801.  i 

Ashbel',  b.  Jan.  30,  1805.  I 

Lydia',  b.  May  24,  1810. 
Abigail',  b.  Feb.  9,  1813;    died  young. 
George',  b.  April  2,  1815. 
Abigail',  b.  May  15,  1817. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Freelove    (Mitchell)   Avery,  b.   at 

Aurora : 

1010.  i.       James',  b.   Feb.  8,  1825. 

ii.      William',  b.  Sept.  29,  1829;    d.  Sept.  9,  1852;    unm. 
iii.     Deborah',  b.  March  12,  1832;    died  young. 

1011.  iv.     Maria',  b.  Sept.  1,  1833. 

V.      Byron',  b.  July  24,  1838;    d.  Dec.  17,  1841. 

395.      Elias*'    Avery     (Daniel^,  Benjamin*,  James\  James", 
Christopher')  was  b.  April  6,  1768,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept.  28,  1800, 


1001. 

1. 

1002. 

ii. 

1003. 

iii. 

1004. 

iv. 

1005. 

11. 

1006. 

iii. 

1007. 

iv. 

V. 

1008. 

vi. 

1009. 

vii. 

I 


1012. 

1. 

1013. 

ii. 

iii. 

1014. 

iv. 

V. 

vi. 

1015. 

vii 

The  Sixth  Generation  303 

at  Groton,  Mrs.  Sarah  Morgan,  widow  of  Stephen  Morgan,  and 
dau.  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Denison)  Barber.  She  was  the 
mother  of  Richard  Morgan,  who  m.  Eliza  Wattles  Avery  (No. 
1612).  She  was  b.  Nov.  6,  1773,  at  Groton;  d.  Jan.  8,  1837;  he 
d.  July  31,  1837,  both  at  Aurora,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Elias  and  Sarah  (Barber)  Avery,  b.  at  Aurora, 
:N.  Y. : 

Maria  Barber',  b.  Dec.  30,  1801. 

Elizabeth  Denison',  b.  July  19,  1803. 

William  E.',  b.  July  19,  1805;    d.  July  14,  1826,  at  Aurora. 

John  Barber'  b.  Aug.  9,  1808. 

Latham  Noyes',  b.  May  19,  1811;    d.  Jan.  26,  1812. 

Nancy  Morgan',  b.  April  15,  1813;   d.  April  9,  1815. 

NoYES  Latham',  b.  Dec.  11,  1815. 

396.  Dudley''  Avery  (Daniel^,  Benjamin*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  March  19,  1770,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  8,  1792, 
Sit  Groton,  Hannah  Morgan,  dau.  of  Nathan  and  Hannah  (Per- 
kins) Morgan.  She  was  b.  Nov.  24,  1775,  at  Groton;  d.  March 
20,  1804,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y.  He  m.  2d, 
Mary  Ann  Brown,  dau.  of  John  W. 
and  Sarah  Brown,  of  Bristol,  Eng. 
Dudley  Avery  was  one  of  the  Aurora 
party  of  1795 ;  was  appointed  sheriff 
of  Onondaga  County,  July  5,  1798; 
ensign  of  Onondaga  County  militia, 
1798;  promoted  to  lieutenant  same 
year;  captain,  1802.  He  was  a  cabi- 
net maker.  About  1804,  he  returned 
to  Groton  and  studied  medicine.  He 
then  went  to  Cincinnati,  and  later  to 
Baton  Rouge,  La.,  where  he  became 
successful  in  his  profession.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  state  legislature  and 
was  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  had  a 
vessel  built  for  trade  with  New  York, 
^nd,  on  her  trial  trip  in  1816,  died  of 
yellow  fever,  off  the  coast  of  Cuba.  dudley  avery 

Children  of  Dudley  and  Hannah  (Morgan)  Avery: 


304  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

i.       Dudley',  b.  Nov.  24,  1793,  at  Groton;    d.  Sept.  19,  1796,  at 
Aurora,  N.  Y. 

1016.  ii.      Barton  Frederick",  b.  Sept.  16,  1796,  at  Aurora. 

1017.  iii.     Caroline  Campuit",  b.  Sept.  19,  1798,  at  Aurora, 

1018.  iv.     Hannah",  b.  March  3,  1804,  at  Aurora. 

Children  of  Dudley  and  Mary  Ann   (Brown)   Avery,  b.  at 
Baton  Rouge,  La. : 

i.      John  Brown",  b.  1808;   d.  1812. 

1019.  ii.      Daniel  Dudley',  b.  April  10,  1810. 
iii.    Latham',  b.  1812;    d.  1814. 

*      1020.    iv.     Eliza  Brown',  b.  1815. 

397.      Isaac-    Avery     (Daniel^,  Benjamin*,  James^,  James-, 

Christopher^)  was  b.  March  30,  1772,  at  Groton ;   m.  about  1792, 

at  Preston,  Sarah  Brooks,  b.  May  4,  1775.     David  Avery  (No. 

511)  said  that  Isaac  Avery  m.  Sally  Champlin ;    in  the  records, 

she  is  called  "Sally,  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Anne  Brooks."    They 

lived  at  Aurora,  N.  Y.,  for  about  twelve  years ;  at  Ulysses,  N.  Y., 

about  five  years.    He  was  appointed  lieut.  in  Col.  Henry  Hewitt's 

reg't,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1806;    captain,  1809.     In  1811,  they 

moved  to  North  Bend,  Ind.,  and  later  to  Shelby  County,  in  that 

state,  taking  Mrs.  Anne  Brooks  with  them.     Mrs.  Sarah  Avery 

d.  Dec.  29,  1834,  in  Shelby  County;   he  d.  Feb.  1,  1858,  at  the 

same  place.    His  farm  of  more  than  a  thousand  acres  was  divided 

among  his  children. 

Children  of  Isaac  and  Sarah  (Brooks)  Avery: 
1021.     i.       Frances',  b.  July  26,  1795,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y, 
Herman',  b.  Oct.  15,  1796,  at  Aurora. 
Guy  Carleton',  b.  July  7,  1798,  at  Aurora. 
Dudley',  b.  June  28,  1800,  at  Aurora. 
Charlotte  Ann',  b.  July  21,  1803,  at  Aurora. 
William  Pitt',  b.  April  5,  1805,  at  Aurora, 
vii.    Isaac',  b.  July  5,  1807,  at  Aurora;    d.  Dec.  5,  1874,  in  Shelby 

Co.,  Ind.;    unm. 
viii.  Sally  Maria',  b.  Nov.  23,  1808,  at  Aurora. 
Daniel',  b.  March  19,  1811,  at  Ulysses,  N.  Y. 
Helen',  b.  Nov.  11,  1812,  at  Ulysses, 
xi.     Edna',  b.  Aug.  25,  1817,  at  Ulysses;    d.  Nov.  28,  1901,  at 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 

399.  Latham''  Avery  (Daniel^,  Benjamin*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  Dec.  19,  1775,  at  Groton;  m.  July  7,  1816, 
at  Groton,  Betsey  Wood  Lester,   dau.  of  Christopher  and  Mary 


1022. 

11. 

1023. 

iii. 

1024. 

iv. 

1025. 

V. 

1026. 

vi. 

vii 

1027. 
1028. 

vii 
ix. 

1029. 

X. 

1030. 

ii. 

1031. 

iii. 

1032. 

iv. 

1033. 

V. 

1034. 

vi. 

1035. 

vii 

The  Sixth  Generation  305 

(Fish)  Lester.    She  was  b.  Nov.  22,  1787,  at  Groton.    He  spent 

much  of  his  early  life  at  Demarara,  West  Indies.    She  d.  Dec.  2, 

1837,  at  Groton ;  he  d.  Julj^  10,  1845,  at  the  same  place. 

Children  of  Latham  and  Betsey  Wood  (Lester)  Avery,  b.  at 

Groton : 

i.       Latham  Burrows',  b.  Sept.  5,  1817;   lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.;   d. 
Aug.  28,  1857,  at  Hong  Kong,  China. 
Betsey  Ann',  b.  July  4,  1819. 
Emily',  b.  Sept.  17,  1821. 
Mary  Jane',  b.  Feb.  12,  1824. 
Christopher  Lester',  b.  June  8,  1826. 
Julia',  b.  May  9,  1828. 
Deborah',  b.  April  2,  1830. 

400.      Rachel''    Avery  {Daniel^  Benjamin*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Aug.  10,  1777,  at  Groton;  m.  Jan.  29,  1794, 
Zenas  Bradley.     They  are  said  to  have  had  one  child.    She  m.  2d, 
Jan.  29,  1797,  Daniel  Foote,  s.  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Margaret 
(Woodcock)  Foote.    He  was  a  merchant.    He  d.  in  1804,  aged  27. 
Children  of  Daniel  and  Rachel  (Avery)  Foote: 
i.       Daniel  W.',  b.  March  17,  1799. 
ii.      Mary  Skinner',  b.  May  26.  1802. 
iii.     Caroline  Matilda',  b.  Aug.,  1804. 

431.  Alfred  Anson'^  Avery  {Deniso'tf,  Benjamin"^,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  12,  1794,  at  Groton;  m.  March 
30,  1817,  at  Stonington,  Martha  Smith.  He  was  a  private  in 
Capt.  Anson  Avery's  company  :n  the  war  of  1812  (Co7in.  Meii  in 
War  of  1812,  p.  7) .  He  was  a  sea  captain.  She  d.  April  9,  1826, 
at  Groton ;  he  d.  Oct.  2,  1836,  at  Key  West,  Fla. 

Children  of  Alfred  Anson  and  Martha  (Smith)  Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

Anson  Alfred',  b.  Dec.  24,  1817. 

Moses  Edwin',  b.  April  14,  1819. 

Charles  Gilson',  b.  Jan.  11,  1821. 

Phebe  Ann',  b.  Oct.  14,  1822. 

Martha  Smith',  b.  April  3,  1825. 

Henry  Smith',  b.  April  6,  1826. 

402.  Hannah'  Avery  (Denison^,  Benjamin*,  James^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  July  2,  1797,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb.,  1822,  at 
Groton,  Charles  Lanmon  Haley,  s.  of  Caleb  and  Sarah  (Burrows) 


1036. 

1. 

1037. 

ii. 

1038. 

iii. 

1039. 

iv. 

1040. 

V. 

1041. 

vi. 

306  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Haley,  and  grandson  of  Hubbard  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Burrows 
(No.  100).  He  was  b.  Feb.  17,  1799,  at  Groton;  was  a  farmer; 
d.  July  8,  1865,  at  Ledyard. 

Children  of  Charles  Lanmon  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Haley,  b. 
at  Groton : 

i.      Warren  Avery',  b.  March  6,  1823;    d.  March  9,  1893,  in 

Idaho, 
ii.      Mary  Phebe',  b.  April  12,  1824;    m.  John  E.  Williams, 
iii.    Henry  Avery',  b.  Nov.  14,  1825. 
iv.     Sarah  Ann',  b.  July  13,  1829;   d.  April  12,  1833. 
V.      Eliza',  b.  April  22,  1832;    d.  April  7,  1835. 
vi.     Nathan  Denison',  b.  Dec.  21,  1838;   m.  Mary  J.  Turner;  2d, 
Frances  M.  Thompson. 

403.  Denison"  Avery  (Denison^,  Benjamin*,  James^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  June  14,  1801,  at  Groton;  m.  April  3,  1836, 
at  Windham,  Emeline  Smith.  She  was  b.  Dec.  15,  1815 ;  d.  Sept. 
11, 1884.  Denison  Avery,  in  his  will  made  Oct.  27,  1888,  and  pro- 
bated at  Windham,  Sept.  11,  1889,  mentioned  heirs  of  sister, 
Hannah  Haley;  brother,  Dudley  B.  Avery;  Avery  Smith,  brother 
of  my  wife;  nephew,  Nathan  D.  Haley;  sister,  Rhoda  E.  Avery 
of  Homer,  N.  Y.  Denison*^  Avery  d.  Sept.  3,  1889,  at  Windham. 
No  children. 

404.  Benjamin  Gilson'^  Avery  {Denison^,  Benjamin*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  May  6,  1804,  at  Groton  ;  m.  Feb.  24, 
1829,  at  Preston,  Eliza  M.  Punderson,  dau.  of  Cyrus  and  Mary 
(Babcock)  Punderson.  She  was  b.  Feb.  24,  1804,  at  Preston. 
He  bought  farms  in  several  places  near  Syracuse,  N.  Y. ;  was  a 
merchant,  salt  manufacturer,  farmer,  supervisor  of  Onondaga 
County.  He  d.  April  6,  1850,  while  on  a  trip  to  Sandusky,  0.  In 
his  will,  made  May  19,  1849,  he  is  called  of  Geddes.  He  gave  his 
wife,  with  other  things,  his  pew  No.  38,  in  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Syracuse,  his  single  horse,  carriage,  harness,  and  all  his  silver- 
ware ;  mentioned  son,  Cyrus  D.,  and  daus.,  Julia  M.  and  Frances 
E.    His  widow  d.  April  14,  1884,  at  Geddes,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Benjamin   Gilson  and  Eliza  M.    (Punderson) 
Avery : 

i.       Eliza',  b.  July  21;   d.  Aug.  3,  1830. 
ii.      Maria',  b.  April  18;   d.  July  24,  1832. 


The  Sixth  Generation  307 

1042.  iii.     C\'RUS  Denison',  b.  Nov.  20,  1833,  at  Geddes,  N.  Y. 

1043.  iv.     Julia  Maria',  b.  Dec.  9,  1835. 

1044.  V.      Frances  Eliza',  b.  Dec,  5,  1838. 

vi.     Benjamin  Woolcott',  b.  Oct.  21,  1840;   d.  Jan.  27,  1841. 

405.  Dudley  Bailey"  Avery  {Denison^,  Benjamin*,  James^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  June  28,  1806,  at  Groton;'  m.  Aug. 
22,  1844,  Lucretia  Bestor,  dau.  of  Foronda  and  Lucretia  (Par- 
sons) Bestor.  She  was  b.  June,  1812,  at  East  Long  Meadow;  d. 
Dec.  24,  1884,  at  Columbia ;  he  d.  Aug.  13,  1885,  at  Columbia. 

Children  of  Dudley  Bailey  and  Lucretia  (Bestor)  Avery,  b. 
at  Columbia,  Conn. : 

1045.  i.   Denison',  b.  Oct.  1,  1845. 

1046.  ii.   Marian',  b.  May  9,  1849. 

418.  John**  Avery  {John^,  Samuel*,  Thomas^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher'^)  was  b.  Dec.  23,  1745,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  24,  1774,  at 
Groton,  Mary  Allyn,  dau.  of  John  and  Joanna  (Miner)  Allyn, 
and  granddau.  of  Robert  and  Deborah  (Avery)  Allyn  (No.  10). 
She  was  b.  Sept.  24,  1750,  at  Groton.  He  is  called  "sheepskin 
John"  by  David  Avery  (No.  511).  He  called  himself  John 
Avery  2d.  He  d.  Aug.  21,  1811;  she  d.  May  21,  1824,  both 
at  Ledyard.  In  his  will,  made  May  4,  1811,  and  probated  Aug. 
31,  1811,  at  Stonington,  he  mentioned  wife,  Mary;  son,  Isaac  and 
his  wife  Clarissa;  dau.,  Hannah;  he  said  that  he  had  provided 
for  his  other  two  daughters. 

Children  of  John  and  Mary  (Allyn)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton: 

1056.  i.      Isaac',  b.  Sept.  4,  1775. 

1057.  ii.      Prudence',  b.  Nov.  14,  1778. 

iii.    John  Miner',  b.  April  23,  1782;   d.  May  8,  1802,  at  Groton. 

1058.  iv.     Lydia',  b.  March  23,  1786. 

1059.  V.      Hannah',  b.  Oct.  25,  1789. 

419.  Hannah''  Avery  {John%  Samuel*,  Thomas''',  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  July  17,  1751,  at  Groton;  m.  Nathaniel 
Woodworth.  She  was  called  Hannah  Avery  in  her  mother's  will 
in  1790,  and  Hannah  Woodworth  in  her  brother  Samuel's  will  in 
1792. 

420.  Amos"  Avery  {John%  Samuel*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Feb.  1,  1754,  at  Groton;  m.  Feb.  16,  1777, 
at  Groton,  Mary  Avery,   (No.  616),  dau.  of  Humphrey  and  Mary 


1. 

1060. 

ii. 

1061. 

iii. 

1062. 

iv. 

1063. 

V. 

1064. 

vi. 

308  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

(Baldwin)  Avery.  She  was  b.  April  19,  1748.  Her  parentage  is 
proved  by  a  receipt  given  by  Amos  Avery  in  behalf  of  his  wife, 
the  daughter  of  Humphrey  Avery,  in  1793,  to  the  executors  of  the 
estate  of  said  Humphrey  Avery.  Amos  Avery  served  for  two 
years  in  the  Revolution  as  matross  under  Capt.  William  Latham, 
and  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Griswold,  Sept.  6,  1781. 
He  d.  April  16,  1831.  His  widow  applied  for  a  pension,  Oct.  22, 
1836  (Widows'  File  25374,  Pension  Office)  ;  it  was  granted.  All 
of  the  dates  here  given  are  from  this  pension  paper. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Mary  (Avery)  Avery,  b.  at  Groton : 

Humphrey',  b.  Feb.  5,  1778;    d.  July  22,  1779 
Mary',  b.  June  18,   1780. 
Susannah',  b.  Dec.  20,  1782. 
Jerusha',  b.  May  31,  1786. 
Thomas  Ledyard',  b.  Aug.  24,  1788. 

John',  mentioned  in  Sweet's  The  Averys  of  Groton  (not  men- 
tioned in  pension  paper;    doubtful), 
vii.    Austin',  b.  June,  1793;    d.  Nov.,  1794. 

421.  Ransford"  Avery  {Ephraim",  Samuel%  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christovlier^)  was  b.  about  1754;  m.  .Eunice  Leffingwell, 
dau.  of  Andrew  and  Mercy  (Nobles)  Leffingwell.  She  was  b. 
Feb.  22,  1757  ;  d.  April  21,  1813,  at  Montgomery,  Mass.  She  was 
mentioned  in  her  father's  will,  July  7,  1803,  and  in  her  mother's 
will,  July  25,  1805  {Norivich  Wills).  The  intention  of  marriage 
to  Mary  Hutchinson,  widow  of  Israel  Hutchinson,  is  recorded 
Jan.  11,  1816,  at  Montgomery,  Mass.  They  were  m.  Jan.  30, 
1816,  at  Montgomery  (Widoivs'  Pension  Applicatio7i,  8106).  He 
was  a  soldier  from  Westfield,  Mass.,  1776 ;  was  in  Capt.  Lemuel 
Pomeroy's  company.  Col.  John  Dickinson's  regiment,  in  1777, 
during  a  part  of  which  time  his  brother,  William,  substituted  for 
him,  he  being  sick ;  marched  on  an  expedition  to  Saratoga,  under 
Col.  Ezra  May ;  was  a  pensioner  (Pension  Application  and  Co7in. 
Men  in  the  Revolution,  1 :368) .  He  d.  March  27,  1849,  at  Mont- 
gomery; she  was  alive  in  1854,  and  applied  for  a  pension. 

Children  of  Ransford  and  Eunice  (Leffingwell)  Avery: 

1065.  i.   Abigail',  b.  Oct.  9,  1779,  at  Southampton,  Mass. 

1066.  ii.   Marcy',  b.  Aug.   11,  1782,  at  Montgomery,  Mass. 
1C67.  iii.  Lovisa',  b.  Aug.  6,  1785,  at  Montgomery. 


The  Sixth   Generation  309 


1068.  iv.     Betsey',  b.  Sept.  27,  1787,  at  Mont<^-omery. 

V.      Ransford',  b.  July  5,  1790,  at  Montj^omery ;    died  young. 

1069.  vi.     Eunice',  b.  Sept.  7,  1792,  at  Montgomery. 

1070.  vii.    Ransford',  b.  Nov.  1,  1796,  at  Montgomery, 

1071.  viii.  Richard',  b.  Nov.  1,  1796,  at  Montgomery. 

422.  Elizabeth"  Avery  (Ephraim^  Samuet,  Thomas^, 
James'-,  Christopher^)  m.  William  French. 

423.  Prudence*'  Avery  {Ephraim\  Samuel*,  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher' )  m.  Nov.  25,  1773,  Stephen  Root,  s.  of  Solo- 
mon and  Mary  (Church)  Root.  He  was  b.  Aug.  14,  1747,  at 
Westfield,  Mass. ;  d.  June  8,  1818,  at  Westfield.  She  d.  April  3, 
1840. 

Children  of  Stephen  and  Prudence  (Avery)  Root: 
i.       Enoch',  b.  1774;    m.  Lucy  Buell;    d.  Nov.  18,  1837. 
ii.      Ransford',  b.  1776;    m.  Sally  Sheldon, 
iii.     Stephen'. 

iv.     Edward',  d.  April  8,  1856. 
V.      Heman',  m.  Anna  Drake;    d.  Oct.  8,  1858. 
vi.     Polly',  m.  Jeremiah  Searle;    d.  1830. 
vii.    Margaret',  m.  Zervan  Moore, 
viii.  Betsey',  m.  Elihu  Clarke, 
ix.     Orin'. 

424.  William"  Avery  {Ephraim^,  Samuel*,  Thomas'",  James-, 
Christopher*)  was  b.  Sept.  2,  1757,  at  Montgomery,  Mass.;  m. 
Dec.  20,  1781,  at  Westfield,  Mass.,  Sally  Dewey,  dau.  of  Thomas 
and  Sarah  (Martindale)  Dewey.  She  was  b.  Sept.  24,  1762,  at 
Westfield.  He  enlisted  from  Westfield,  May  4,  1775,  in  Capt. 
Warham  Park's  co.,  Col.  Danielson's  reg't ;  also  marched  on  the 
Bennington  alarm,  1777  {Mass.  Soldiers  and  Sailors  in  the  Revo- 
lution, 1:369).  He  was  a  farmer.  He  d.  Sept.  24,  1822;  she  d. 
April  20,  1827,  both  at  Montgomery. 

Children  of  William  and  Sally  (Dewey)  Avery,  b.  at  Mont- 
gomery : 

Rowland',  b.  April  21,  1782. 
Charles  DEVi^EY',  b.  Feb.  20,  1784. 
Vashti',  b.  May  16,  1786. 
Electa',  b.  July  11,  1788. 
Sally',  b.  Nov.  15,  1790. 
Nancy',  b.  Sept.  1,  1792. 


1072. 

1, 

1073. 

ii. 

1074. 

iii. 

1075. 

iv. 

1076. 

v. 

1077. 

vi. 

310  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

1078.  vii.    Olive',  b.  Jan.  19,  1795. 

1079.  viii.  Thomas  Bill',  b.  Nov.  12,  1798. 

1080.  ix.     Abigail',  b.  March  10,  1801. 

425.  Ephraim'^  Avery  (Ephraim^,  Samuel*,  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  m.  Susanna  Chapman,  dau.  of  Isaac  and 
Mary  (Potter)  Chapman.  Nov.  6,  1806,  Ephraim  Avery  and 
Susanna,  his  wife;  Samuel  Avery  and  Mary,  his  wife;  Isaac 
Chapman,  sen.,  Isaac  Chapman,  jr.,  and  several  others,  made 
Abner  Chapman  their  attorney  to  demand  and  receive  of  Levi 
Bradford  their  shares  as  heirs  of  Mary  Chapman,  wife  of  Isaac 
Chapman,  which  Mary  was  heir-at-law  of  the  Hon.  Simon  Potter, 
of  Swansey,  Mass.  {Springfield  Deeds,  43:556) .  Ephraim  Avery 
was  in  Capt.  Joseph  Cook's  co.,  Col.  Porter's  Hampshire  reg't, 
1779  {Mass.  Soldiers  and  Sailors  in  the  Rev'n,  1:366).  He  d. 
Nov.  16,  1850;  she  d.  Dec.  2,  1852,  aged  94  years,  both  at  Mont- 
gomery, Mass. 

Children  of  Ephraim  and  Susanna  (Chapman)  Avery,  b.  at 
Montgomery,  Mass. : 

Polly',  b.  Sept.  1,  1786. 

Elisha',  b.  Nov.  7,  1789. 

Susanna',  b.  June  5,  1792. 

Abner',  b.  Aug.  2,  1796. 

Horace',  b.  Jan.  13,  1799. 

Lucinda',  died  March  16,  1857;    unm. 

Leutheur',  b.  Sept.  23,  1803. 

426.  Abel"  Avery  {Ephrainv',  Samuel*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher')  m.  Nov.  15,  1787,  at  Westfield,  Mass.,  Jerusha 
Sackett.  His  estate  was  administered  by  Samuel  Avery,  Feb.  11, 
1812  {Northampton  Wills,  28,  90). 

Children  of  Abel  and  Jerusha  (Sackett)  Avery,  b.  at  West- 
field,  Mass. : 

1087.  i.   Olive',  b.  April  3,  1789. 

1088.  ii.   Jerusha',  b.  Aug.  3,  1790. 

1089.  iii.  Adnah',  b.  Dec.  12,  1792. 

1090.  iv.  Walter',  b.  about  1795. 

1091.  V.   Isaac',  b.  about  1798. 

1092.  vi.  Solomon',  b.  Jan.  23,  1800. 
vii.  John',  died  young. 

1093.  viii.  Clarissa'. 

1094.  ix.  Polly'. 

1095.  X.  John'. 


1081. 

• 

1. 

1082. 

11. 

•1083. 

iii. 

1084. 

iv. 

1085. 

v. 

VI. 

1086. 

vii 

The  Sixth  Generation  311 

427.  Bathsheba"  Avery  (Ephraim^,  Samuel*,  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  m.  Peter  Bundy. 

428.  Samuel"  Avery  {Ephraim^,  Samuel*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  July  24,  1771;  m.  Nov.  21,  1791,  Mary 
Chapman,  dau.  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Potter)  Chapman.  She  was 
b.  April  3,  1770.  He  made  his  will,  June  9,  1818,  at  Montgomery, 
Mass.,  and  mentioned  wife,  Mary;  youngest  daughters,  Mary 
Ann,  Eunice,  and  Eliza;  sons,  Ephraim,  Harvey,  and  Henry; 
daughters.  Wealthy  Wright,  Asenath  Avery,  Lucy  (Laura?) 
Herrick,  and  Betsey  Avery  {Springfield  Wills,  case  482).  He  d. 
June  10,  1818 ;  she  d.  Aug.  18,  1845,  at  Montgomery. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Chapman)  Avery,  b.  at 
Montgomery,  Mass. : 

1096.  i.  Ephraim',  b.  June  15,  1792. 

1097.  ii.  Wealthy",  b.  Dec.  5,  1793. 

1098.  iii.  Asenath',  b.  Sept.  24,  1795. 

1099.  iv.  Marilla',  b.  May  3,  1798. 

1100.  V.  Harvey',  b.  June  14,  1799. 

1101.  vi.  Laura',  b.  Oct.  30,  1801. 

1102.  vii.  Elizabeth',  b.  Aug.  25,  1803. 

1103.  viii.  Mary  Ann',  b.  Dec.  25,  1805. 

1104.  ix.  Henry',  b.  Aug.  15,  1807. 

1105.  X.  Eunice',  b.  July  30,  1809. 

1106.  xi.  Eliza',  b.  July  4,  1811. 

429.  Sarah''  Avery  {Thomas'',  Abraham*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christo2-)her^)  was  b.  Sept.  26,  1769,  at  Montville;  m.  Asahel 
Adgate,  s.  of  Thomas  and  Ruth  (Leffingwell)  Adgate.  He  was  b. 
Sept.  2,  1767,  at  Montville.  She  d.  July  28,  1821 ;  he  d.  Sept.  5, 
1851,  both  at  Montville. 

Children  of  Asahel  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Adgate,  b.  at  Mont- 
ville : 

i.       Thomas  Avery',  b.  Jan.  2,  1791;   m.  Lois  Perkins;    d.  March, 

1875. 
ii.      Mary  Hart',  b.  May  31,  1794;    m.  Jedediah  Willett, 
iii.     Anna',  b.  Oct.  22,  1796. 
iv.     Ruth  L.',  b.  June  15,  1798. 

V.      Sarah  M.',  b.  June  15,  1798;   m.  Marvin  Baker, 
vi.     Caroline  L.',  b.  June  25,  1810;    m.  George  Bradford. 


312  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

430.  Ruth'''  Avery  (Thomas^,  Abraham*,  Thomas-%  James'-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  23,  1772,  at  Montville;  m.  Joshua 
Wheeler.  She  lived  on  the  old  homestead  that  was  built  by  the 
first  Thomas  Avery  (No.  6). 

Child  of  Joshua  and  Ruth  (Avery)  Wheeler,  b.  at  Montville: 
i.      William  Avery'. 

431.  Abraham"  Avery  {Jonathan'',  Abraham*,  Thomas'", 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  12,  1764,  at  East  Lyme;  m. 
Feb.  6,  1785,  at  Lyme,  Elizabeth  Noyes,  dau.  of  Moses  and  Han- 
nah (Selden)  Noyes.  She  was  b.  Sept.  3,  1766,  at  Lyme.  He  was 
a  farmer  at  East  Lyme.  He  d.  Oct.  4,  1834 ;  she  d.  Feb.  18,  1837, 
both  at  East  Lyme;  they  were  buried  in  the  Stone  Church 
burying-ground. 

Children  of  Abraham  and  Elizabeth   (Noyes)   Avery,  b.  at 
East  Lyme: 

i.       MosES\  b.  Feb.  12,  1786;    d.  Aug.  8,  1788. 

1107.  ii.      Elizabeth',  b.  Feb.  19,  1788. 

iii.     Mary^  b.  Feb.  19,  1790;    d.  Nov.  26,  1858,  at  East  Lyme. 

1108.  iv.     Abraham  Selden',  b.  March  1,  1792. 

V.      John  Noyes',  b.  March  25,  1794;    d.  March  23,  1817,  at  East 

Lyme, 
vi.     Hannah',  b.   Dec.   25,   1795;     d.    March    12,   1852,   at   East 

Lyme;    unm. 

1109.  vii.    Thomas',  b.  Jan.  1,  1798. 

viii.  Enoch',  b.  Dec.  29,  1801;   d.  Oct.  13,  1802. 

1110.  ix.     Samuel',  b.  Jan.  4,  1805. 

X.      William',  b.  Nov.  4 ;    d.  Nov.  12,  1807,  at  East  Lyme. 

432.  William  Thomas"  Avery  {Nathan;',  Abraham*,  Thomas\ 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Jan.  19,  1764,  at  Lebanon;  m.  June 
30,  1791,  at  Bozrah,  Phebe  Throop,  dau.  of  William  and  Prudence 
(Hyde)  Throop.  She  was  b.  March  1,  1771,  at  Bozrah.  They 
moved  from  Bozrah  to  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y.,  where  he  d.  Nov.  10, 
1820.  She  moved  with  her  children  to  Galesburg,  111.,  and  d. 
there,  Aug.  1,  1844. 

Children  of  William  Thomas  and  Phebe  (Throop)  Avery,  b. 
at  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y. : 

1111.  i.   Nathan',  b.  May  8,  1792. 

1112.  ii.  Clarissa',  b.  Oct.  31,  1793. 


1117. 

1. 

1118. 

ii. 

iii 

1119. 

iv. 

1120. 

V. 

The  Sixth  Generation  313 

iii.  Hyde  Throop',  b.  Nov.  13,  1797;  d.  Aug.  3,  1864,  at  Gales- 
burg,  111.;    unm. 

iv.  William  Thomas',  b.  Aug.  17,  1800;  d.  Oct.  8,  1856,  at 
Logansport,  Iowa,  while  on  a  journey;    unm. 

1113.  V.      George',  b.  Dec.  2,  1802. 

1114.  vi.     Deborah',  b.  Aug.  31,  1806. 

1115.  vii.    John  Thomas',  b.  Dec.  29,  1810. 

1116.  viii.  Cornelia',  b.  June  7,  1816. 

433.  Ashbel  Stevens'''  Avery  {Abyaham'-,  Abraham^,  Thomas^, 
James-,  ChristopJier')  was  b.  May  8,  1775,  at  Montville;  m.  Oct. 
23,  1800,  at  Beckett,  Mass.,  Eunice  Allen.  She  was  b.  Nov.  23, 
1776.    He  d.  March  29,  1829  ;  she  d.  Oct.  17,  1854. 

Children  of  Ashbel  Stevens  and  Eunice  (Allen)  Avery: 
Oriza',  b.  Feb.  7,  1803. 
Abraham',  b.  Dee.  19,  1805. 
Fanny',  b.  May  20,  1809;    d.  Jan.  13,  1813. 
Sarah  Stevens',  b.  July  3,  1813. 
William  Miller',  b.  Feb.  5,  1818. 

434.  Nathan"  Avery  (Abraham^  Abraham*,  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  23,  1777,  at  Montville;  m. 
about  1803,  at  Glastonbury,  Sally  Miller.  She  was  b.  Aug.  22, 
.1775.    He  d.  Dec.  30,  1834,  at  Hudson,  N.  Y. ;  she  d.  Jan.  6,  1851. 

Children  of  Nathan  and  Sally  (Miller)  Avery: 

Susan  Miller',  b.  May  7,  1804. 

Laurette',  b.  May  30,  1805. 

Abraham',  b.  May  19,  1807;    d.  May  20,  1807. 

Sarah  Maria',  b.  Jan.  3,  1809. 

Edwin',  b.  April  4,  1810;    d.  unm. 

Larmia  Euphrasia',  b.  Dec.  7,  1811. 

William  Henry',  b.  Oct.  27,  1813,  at  Claverack,  N.  Y. 
viii.  Mary  Sophia',  b.  Jan.  29,  1815. 
ix.     Nathan',  b.  April  11,  1816;   d.  May  6,  1816. 

435.  Anna*'  Avery  (Abraham^  Abraham*,  Thomas'^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  June  24,  1780,  at  Montville;  m.  Nov.  13, 
1800,  Isaac  Bevin.  They  lived  at  East  Hampton,  where  the  sons 
became  the  largest  manufacturers  of  sleighbells  in  the  country. 
She  d.  June  19,  1851 ;  he  d.  May  8,  1870,  both  at  East  Hampton. 

Children   of  Isaac  and  Anna    (Avery)    Bevin,  b.  at   East 
Hampton : 


1121. 

1. 

1122. 

ii. 

iii. 

1123. 

iv. 

V. 

1124. 

vi. 

1125. 

vii. 

1126. 

viii 

314  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

i.  Pamelia',  b.  Oct.  9,  1801. 

ii.  William",  b.  June  17,  1804. 

iii.  Chauncey',  b.  July  7,  1806. 

iv.  Isaac  A.',  b.  April  29,  1808. 

V.  Abner  Griswold',  b.  July  10,  1810. 

vi.  Philo',  b.  Aug.  12,  1813;   lieu't-col.  of  state  militia. 

vii.  Alice  S.',  b.  July  3,  1815. 

viii.  Adaline',  b.  Aug.  8,  1817. 

ix.  Belinda',  b.  Jan.  17,  1820. 

436.  Abraham^  Avery  {Abraham^,  Abraham*,  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  June  22,  1782,  at  Montville;  m. 
Oct.  20,  1808,  at  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  Elizabeth  Bliss,  dau.  of  the 
Hon.  Abel  and  Elizabeth  (Bartlett)  Bliss.  She  was  b.  Jan.  29, 
1788,  at  Wilbraham.  She  d.  Dec.  27, 1851,  at  Wilbraham.  He  m. 
2d,  at  Wilbraham,  Belinda  Cordelia  Brewer.  She  was  b.  Aug.  5, 
1805.  He  was  a  tanner  and  saddler ;  a  large  land  owner  and  a 
successful  business  man;  a  devoted  Methodist;  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  Weslej^an  Academy  at  Wilbraham ;  also  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  University  at  Middletown,  Conn.,  of  which  he  was  a  trus- 
tee; represented  his  town  in  the  state  legislature  many  times. 
He  refused  to  pay  the  tax  levied  on  all  who  were  not  members  of 
the  Orthodox  church  for  the  support  of  that  denomination.  He 
filled  nearly  every  office  in  the  gift  of  his  townsmen.  He  d.  Oct. 
18,  1853,  at  Wilbraham ;  his  widow  d.  Nov.  15,  1877. 

Children  of  Abraham  and  Elizabeth    (Bliss)   Avery,  b.  at 
Wilbraham,  Mass. : 

1127.  i.       Addison',  b.  Feb.  20,  1810. 

ii.  Benjamin',  b.  June  16,  1813;   d.  Dec.  13,  1819. 

iii.  Simeon',  b.  Aug.  22,  1817;    d.  March  12,  1819. 

iv.  Elizabeth',  b.  Oct.  13,  1819;   d.  Oct.  17,  1837. 

1128.  V.  Julia',  b.  April  18,  1822. 

1129.  vi.  Abraham',  b.  Nov.  15,  1824. 

437.  Rebecca "^  Avery  (Abraham^,  Abraham^  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  bap.  Jan.  3,  1784,  at  Bolton;  m.  Oct. 
14,  1804,  at  Norwich,  David  Yale,  s.  of  Joseph  and  Lydia 
(Sanger)  Yale.  He  was  b.  April  9,  1781,  at  Norwich.  He  re- 
moved to  Grey,  Me.,  where  she  died  July  16,  1805,  and  was  buried 
with  her  child.  He  m.  2d,  Olive  Woodman ;  3d,  Jane  Stubbs ;  d. 
at  Leicester,  N.  Y.,  June  19,  1827. 


The  Sixth  Generation 


315 


316  The   Groton  Avery   Clan 

439.  Dolly"  Avery  (Abraham^,  Abraham*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher'')  m.  May  21,  1804,  at  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  George 
Sellew.  He  was  a  sea  captain  and  died  at  sea  returning  from 
New  Orleans. 

Children  of  George  and  Polly  (Avery)  Sellew: 

i.       Orrin\  b.  Feb.  28,  1806;    d.  Feb.,  1869. 

ii.      George  Clinton',  b.  April  14,  1807;    d.  Sept.  1,  1831. 

iii.     Fidelia',  b.  April  13,  1808;    d.  July  1,  1811. 

iv.     Lucy',  b.  Sept.  25,  1810;    d.  Sept.  10,  1831. 

V.      LoviSA',  b.  Auo-.  25,  1812;    m.  Bogart. 

vi.     Titus",  b.  March  15,  1815;    d.  June  25,  1822. 

450.  John"  Avery  (Charles'',  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher'')  was  b.  Oct.  9,  1752,  at  Norwich;  m.  April  4,  1782, 
at  Westport,  Ann  Hazard,  daii.  of  John  and  Mary  (Wake- 
man)  Hazard,  She  was  b.  about  1764,  at  Green  Farms. 
John  Avery  was  graduated  at  Yale,  1777 ;  pastor  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  Stamford.  He  d.  Sept.,  1791,  at  Stam- 
ford ;  his  widow  m.  David  Ripley ;  she  d.  Dec.  26,  1830,  at 
Saugatuck. 

Children  of  John  and  Ann  (Hazard)  Avery,  b.  at  Stamford: 
i.       John  Hazard',  b.  April  3,  1783;   d.  Jan.  30,  1867,  at  Wooster, 
O.;    unm. 

1135.  ii.      Samuel',  b.  Sept.  5,  1785. 

iii.     Charles',  b.  March  25,  1788;    d.  Nov.  27,  1807,  at  Kingston, 
Jamaica. 

1136.  iv.     Edward',  b.  Feb.  20,  1790. 

451.  Charles"  Avery  {Charles'' ,  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher')   was  b.  Aug.  16,  1754,  at  Norwich;    m.   Cordelia 

.     He  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  under  Capt.  John 

Durkie,  third  reg't,  1775  ;  under  Jedediah  Hyde,  fourth  reg't,  1777 
to  1780  ;  in  Capt.  Stillman's  co.,  1781 ;  was  at  Germantown,  Val- 
ley Forge,  Monmouth,  Stony  Point  {Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  54, 
185,  319) .    He  is  said  to  have  married  and  died  at  Cincinnati. 

Child  of  Charles  and  Cordelia  Avery : 

1137.  i.       Lydia',  b.  Dec.  25,  1784. 

452.  Stephen''  Avery  {Charles'",  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher*)  was  b.  July  17,  1756,  at  Norwich;  m.  at  Brandon, 
Vermont,  Mary  Walker.  She  was  b.  July  17,  1780,  at  Brandon. 
Stephen  Avery  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  in  Capt.  Lamb's 


The  Sixth  Generation  317 

CO.;  later  in  Capt.  Huntington's  co. ;  crossed  the  Delaware  with 
Washington  and  wintered  at  Vallej^  Forge  {Conn.  Men  in  the 
Rev'n,  293,  405). 

"Norwich,  June  30,  1780.     Note  is  made  that  Mr.  Stephen  Aveiy  has 

enlisted  in  the  service  of  his  country  to  help  make  up  the  quota  of 

the  town"   {Norwich  Land  Records,  23:368). 

He  had  a  gristmill  and  a  woolen  factory  at  Brandon.  Janu- 
ary 1,  1825,  Stephen  Avery  and  Mary  his  wife  sold  land  in 
Brookfield,  Mass.,  as  heirs  of  Abraham  Walker,  of  Brandon, 
latel}^  deceased  {Worcester,  Mass.,  Deeds).  He  d.  Sept.  6,  1838; 
she  d.  Aug.,  1859,  at  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Walker)  Avery,  b.  at  Bran- 
don: 

Marcia',  d.  young. 

Stephen  Waterman',  b.  March  7,  1800;   a  physician;    stud- 
ied abroad;    settled  in  New  York;    author;    d.  June  22, 
1833,  at  New  York  City;    unm. 
Mary  Weld',  b.  about  1803. 
Abigail  Post',  b.  about  1805. 
Charles',  b.  Nov.  16,  1806. 
Perez  Jones',  b.  March  28,  1812. 
William  Lovell',  b.  Feb.  28,  1815. 
viii.  Elijah  Franklin',  b.  June  1,  1818;    d.  about  1842;   unm. 
ix.     James  Frederick',  b.  Sept.  24,  1822. 
Joseph  Francis',  b.  June  10,  1824. 

453.  Abigail  Avery  {Charles'',  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Dec.  7,  1758,  at  Norwich;  m.  Sept.  1,  1776, 
at  Norwich,  Case  Cook.  They  lived  at  Brandon,  Vermont.  He 
was  a  farmer;   selectman. 

454.  Simeon **  Avery  {Charles'',  Jonathan^  Thomas\  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  17,  1759,  at  Norwich;  m,  Sarah 
Bump,  dau.  of  Levi  and  Patience  Bump,  of  Norwich.  She  was 
b.  April  13,  1764,  at  Norwich.  He  was  a  farmer  and  blacksmith, 
at  Brandon,  Vt.  He  d.  Jan.  16,  1803,  at  Brandon ;  his  widow  m. 
Simeon  Bigelow,  the  widower  of  her  sister-in-law,  Elizabeth 
Avery. 

Children  of  Simeon  and  Sarah  (Bump)  Avery: 

1151.  i.       Simeon  Shipman',  b.  Feb.  14,  1784,  at  Rutland,  Vt. 

1152.  ii.      Elijah',  d.  at  Pittsford,  Vt. 

1153.  iii.     Daniel  F.',  b.  May  26,  1791. 

1154.  iv.     Royal  Augustus',  b.  July  7,  1800. 


1. 

ii. 

1143. 

iii. 

1144. 

iv. 

1145. 

V. 

1146. 

vi. 

1147. 

vii 

1148. 

Vll 

ix. 

1149. 

X. 

318  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


1155.  V.      Charles'.     He  m.  and  left  a  family  of  which  we  have  found 

no  further  trace. 

1156.  vi.     Stephen'.     He  m.  and  left  a  family  in  Michigan.     No  fur- 

ther trace. 

455.  Hannah''  Avery  {Charles^  Jonathan^  Thomas^,  James-, 

ChristovheV)   was  b.  May  26,  1761,  at  Norwich;    m.  

Cross,  as  proved  by  the  settlement  of  her  father's  estate.  Said  to 
have  married  a  Mr.  King  of  Brandon,  possibly  a  second  hus- 
band.   She  d.  Jan.  28,  1847,  at  Potsdam,  Ohio. 

456.  Elizabeth"  Avery  {Charles',  Jonathan^  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Oct.  8,  1764,  at  Norwich;  m.  March 
14  1790,  Simeon  Big-elow,  s.  of  John  and  Grace  (Allen)  Bige- 
low.  He  was  b.  Apiil,  1752,  at  Acton,  Mass.  His  first  wife  was 
Sarah  Foster.  His  second  wife,  Elizabeth  Avery,  d.  April  21, 
1804.  He  m.  3d,  Sarah,  widow  of  Simeon  Avery,  his  brother-in- 
law  (No.  454).    He  d.  June  13,  1837,  at  Brandon,  Vt. 

Children  of  Simeon  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Bigelow: 

i.       Elijah  Avery',  b.  Dec.  13,  1790;   m.  Diantha  June;   2d,  Milly 

June, 
ii.      Daniel   Post',   b.    March    14,    1792;    m.    Betsey   Knight;     d. 

March  23,  1853,  at  Barre,  N.  Y. 
iii.     Thirza',  b.  March  12,  1794;    m.  Jaffrey  Amherst  Bogue;    d. 

March  25,  1850. 
iv.     Cli\e',  b.  Feb.  7,  1796;    m.  Samuel  Arnold;    d.  Dec.  13,  1821, 

at  Brandon. 
V.      Augustus',  b.  Jan.  17,  1798;    d.  unm. 
vi.     Minerva',  b.  April  22,  1799;    d.  April  23,  1804. 
vii.    Eliza',  b.  June  28,  1801;    m.  William  Pierce. 
viii.  Simeon',  b.  Feb.  23,  1803;    m.  Charity  Charlotte  Childs;    d. 

March  19,  1866,  at  Barre,  N.  Y. 

458.  Daniel"  Avery  (Charles^  Jonathan\  Thomas\  James\ 
Christopher')  was  b.  March  26,  1768,  at  Norwich;  m.  Feb.  6, 
1793,  at  Salisbury,  Vt.,  Eunice  Weeks,  dau.  of  Holland  and  Han- 
nah (Moseley)  Weeks.  She  was  b.  Oct.  7,  1769,  at  Brooklyn, 
Conn.  She  d.  May  7,  1851 ;  he  d.  Dec.  14,  1851,  both  at  Bran- 
don. All  descendants  have  a  Mayflower  ancestry  through  Han- 
nah Moseley,  a  descendant  of  John  and  Priscilla  Alden  (Weeks' 
Family  Meeting) . 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Eunice  (Weeks)  Avery,  b.  in  Bran- 
don: 


The  Sixth   Generation  319 

i.       John',  b.  May  6,  1794;   d.  Dec.  13,  1821,  at  Brandon;   unm. 

1157.  ii.      Abigail',  b.  March  23,  1796. 

iii.     Samuel',  b.  Nov.  1,  1800;    d.  IVljarch  7,  1813,  at  Brandon. 

1158.  iv.     Ebenezer  Weeks',  b.  Nov.  23,  1802. 

1159.  V.      Elijah',  b.  July  14,  1807. 

460.  Sarah  Manning"  Avery  (Elisha^,  Jonathan*,  TJiomas^, 
James",  Christopher^)  was  b.  Sept.  20,  1755,  at  Norwich;  m. 
Frederick  (Abel?)  Caulkins. 

Child  of  Frederick  and  Sarah  Manning  (Avery)  Caulkins, 
b.  at  Norwich : 

i.       Elisha  Avery',  bap.  July  25,  1793,  First  Cong'l  Church  of 
Norwich. 

461.  Elisha'^  Avery  {Elisha^',  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  Dec.  30,  1756,  at  Norwich;  m.  April  13, 
1777,  at  Norwich,  Sybil  Sanger,  dau.  of  Josiah  and  Lydia 
Sanger.  She  was  b.  July  30,  1756,  at  Norwich.  He  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  war ;  was  in  the  Lexington  Alarm  from  Norwich ; 
private  in  Jedediah  Huntington's  co.,  eighth  reg't,  1775;  same 
reg't,  1777  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  19,  85,  147) .  He  d.  Feb.  10, 
1807,  at  Norwich ;   she  d.  Jan.  7,  1855,  at  Woodstock. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Sybil  (Sanger)  Avery,  b.  at  Nor- 
wich: 

Sarah',  b.  Jan.  18,  1778. 

Sybil',  b.  Jan.  28,  1780. 

Sophia',  b.  Feb.  8,  1782. 

Elisha',  b.  Oct.  16,  1783. 

Abigail',  b.  Jan.  9,  1789. 

Lucy',  b.  July  8,  1791;    d.  July  15,  1819;    unm. 

462.  Oliver*'  Avery  (Jo7iathan%  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  m.  Aug.,  1802,  Lois  Vibber,  dau.  of  Leonard  Vib- 
ber. 

Children  of  Oliver  and  Lois  (Vibber)  Avery: 
1174.     i.       Leonard',  b.  Dec.  11,  1803. 


1169. 

1. 

1170. 

ii. 

1171. 

iii. 

1172. 

iv. 

1173. 

V. 

vi. 

1175. 

11. 

Elisha'. 

1176. 

iii. 

Loren'. 

1177. 

iv. 

Mary  H.'. 

1178. 

vi. 

Philura'. 

1179. 

vii. 

Abbie  Ann'. 

463.      Gardiner"    Avery     (Jonathan^   Jonathan*,   Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  m.  Jan.  10,  1802,  at  Bozrah,   Rachel  Bald- 


320  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


1180. 

1. 

1181. 

ii. 

1182. 

iii. 

1183. 

iv. 

win.  She  M^as  bap.  Sept.  16,  1781,  at  Bozrah.  She  d.  Oct. 
30,  1807,  at  Bozrah.  He  m.  2d,  May  25,  1813,  at  Bozrah,  Rhoda 
Abel,  dau.  of  Simon  and  Mary  (Crooker)  Abel.  She  was  b.  June 
24,  1780.  He  d.  Dec.  4,  1852,  at  Bozrah.  He  was  town  clerk  of 
Bozrah  many  years;  just'ce  of  the  peace,  1818-1841 ;  representa- 
tive in  the  general  court,  1815,  1817,  1820,  1827,  1832,  1833  {Ms. 
State  Papers,  Hartford) . 

Children  of  Gardiner  and  Rachel  (Baldwin)  Avery,  b.  at 
Bozrah : 

Jannette",  b.  Sept.  4,  1802. 

Albert  Gallatin',  b.  April  8,  1804. 

Erastus',  b.  Nov.  19,  1805. 

Rachel  Baldwin',  b.  Sept.  17,  1807. 

465.  Polly^  Avery  (Jonathan^  Jo7iathan\  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  m.  Guerdon  Leffingwell,  s.  of  Andrew  and  Mary 
(Nobles)  Leffingwell.  He  was  b.  May  28,  1768.  He  d.  Jan.  16, 
1844;   she  d.  Dec.  17,  1869,  both  at  Leffingwell cov/n. 

Children  of  Guerdon  and  Polly  (Avery)  Leffingwell,  b.  at 
Leffingwelltown : 

i.       Elisha',  b.  Feb.  6,  1796;    m.  Betsey  Beebe. 

ii.  Elihu  Marvin',  b.  July  20,  1798;  m.  Abby  Ann  Chapman; 
2d,  Sarah  Ann  Whaley;    d.  March  31,  1856. 

iii.     Gardiner',  b.  Jan.  10,  1801;    d.  unm. 

iv.     Mary  Ann',  b.  April  4,  1803;   m.  Reuben  L.  Bromley. 

V.      Amanda',  b.  Nov.  4,  1805;    m.  Alfred  Rogers. 

vi.     Andrew',  b.  July  8,  1808;   m.  Sally  Smith  Sabin. 

vii.  George',  b.  March,  1811;  d.  Nov.  28,  1881,  at  Leffingwell- 
town ;    unm. 

viii.  Fitch  Beebe',  b.  1813;    d.  1827. 

ix.     Ira',  b.  1816;    d.  May  4,  1872,  at  Leffingwelltown;    unm. 

X.      Harriet',  b.  Aug.  25,  1819;    m.  Joseph  Kelso. 

466.  Sally''  Avery  {Jonathan'',  Jonat]Lan\  Thomas^,  James'-, 
Christopher^)  married  Elisha  Post,  s.  of  John  and  Abigail  (Lef- 
fingwell) Post.  He  was  b.  April  6,  1774.  She  died  June  21, 
1844,  aged  62;  he  d.  Dec.  8,  1854. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Sallj^  (Avery)  Post: 
i.       Diantha  F.',  b.  Sept.  2,  1807. 
ii.      Elisha',  b.  Oct.  11,  1811. 
iii.     Eunice  E.',  b.  Nov.  6,  1813. 
iv.     Phila  Gifford',  b.  March  14,  1S16. 


The  Sixth  Generation  321 

V.      Mary  Abby',  b.  March  31,  1818. 

vi.     Sally  Maria",  b.  June  10,  1820. 

vii.    Jabez',  b.  Aug.  7,  1823. 

viii.  John',  b.  Dec.  17,  1826. 

ix.     Amy  Avery',  b.  June  13,  1828. 

467.  A  Daughter''  {Jouathmr,  Jonathan^  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  ;  m.  Moses  Sherman. 

468.  A  Daughter"  {Joimthaiv',  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  ;   m.  Henry  Curtis. 

470.  Olive*'  Avery  {DavicV',  Jonathan"-,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  ;  m.  Ward  Risley.      No  children. 

471.  David''  Avery  {DavicP,  Jonathan^  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  ;  m.  Minerva  Hubbard.  They  lived  in  Madison 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  she  d.  about  1840.  He  moved  to  Michigan 
and  d.  Sept.  10,  1857,  at  Genesee,  Mich. 

Children  of  David  and  Minerva  (Hubbard)  Avery: 

1184.  i.       Jane'. 

1185.  ii.      William'. 

1186.  iii.     Franklin^ 

1187.  iv.     Helen  Minerva',  b.  Sept.  8,  1829,  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

1188.  V.      Theodora',  b.  March  30,  1834,  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

472.  Betsey"  Avery  {DavicV',  Jonathan^,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher'^ )  ;  m.  the  Rev.  Job  Potter. 

Child  of  Job  and  Betsej^  (Avery)  Potter: 
i.      Hiram  Palmer'. 

473.  Guerdon"  Avery  {DavicV,  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Sept.  5,  1793,  at  Lisbon.  Conn.;  m.  about 
1823,  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  Lurinda  Fuller.  He  was  a  hop  grower. 
He  d.  Sept.  10,  1757,  at  Waterville,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Guerdon  and  Lurinda    (Fuller)    Avery,  b.   at 
Hamilton,  N.  Y. : 

1189.  i.   Guerdon  Fuller',  b.  Feb.  14,  1828. 

1190.  ii.   JosEPHENE  Lurinda',  b.  Aug.  23,  1833. 

474.  Lucy^  Avery  {DavicV,  Jonathan"^,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  Aug.  10,  1795,  at  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y. ;  m. 
Dec.  3,  1814,  at  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  Timothy  Smith.  He  was  b. 
Nov.  17,  1791,  at  Hartford;  d.  Aug.  20,  1873. 


322  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Children    of    Timothy    and    Lucy    (Avery)    Smith,    b.    at 
Augusta,  N.  Y. : 

i.       Edward',  died  young. 

ii.      Sarah  Ann',  b.  April  2,  1817;    m.  John  Yale;    d.  Jan.  25, 

1899,  at  Watertown,  N.  Y. 
iii.     Betsey  Jane',  died  young, 
iv.     Timothy  Avery',  b.  Nov.  11,  1822;    m.  Lucy  A.  Massey;    d. 

Oct.  7,  1891,  at  Watertown. 
V.      Anson  Palmer',  b.  June  14,  1825;   m.  Mary  Ann  Smith, 
vi.     Hiram   Perry',   b.   March    18,    1828;     m.   Emma   Smith;     d. 

March  27,  1885. 
vii.    Savillian  Fuller',  b.  May  22,  1831;    m.  Smith;    2d, 

Nellie  E.  Eggleston. 

475.  Frederick"  Avery  (Davicl^,  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  b.  at  Hubbardsville,  N.  Y. ;  m.  Hannah  Stanbergh, 
dau.  of  Adam  and  Rachel  (Snyder)  Stanbergh.  He  was  a 
painter.  He  d.  June,  1848,  at  North  Brookfield,  N.  Y. ;  she  d. 
Jan.,  1855,  at  Poolville,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Frederick  and  Hannah  (Stanbergh)  Avery,  b. 
at  Hubbardsville,  N.  Y. : 

1191.  i.  Sarah',  b.  July  5,  1832. 

1192.  ii.  Betsey  L.',  b.  Sept.  9,  1836. 

1193.  iii.  Olive  J.',  b.  June  30,  1838. 

1194.  iv.  Palmer',  b.  June  9,  1840. 

476.  Charles^  Avery  (Davicl^,  Jonathan*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Sept.  12,  1802,  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y. ;  m. 
Angeline  Greene,  dau.  of  David  and  Deliverance  (Hatch) 
Greene.  She  was  b.  Dec.  8,  1803,  at  South  East,  N.  Y. ;  d.  May 
28,  1842,  at  North  Brookfield,  N.  Y.  He  m.  2d,  Oct.  16,  1843,  at 
Verona,  N.  Y.,  Lois  Ann  Jackson,  dau.  of  Miller  and  Lucinda 
Hand  (Gillette)  Jackson.  She  was  b.  Oct.  3,  1821,  at  Verona, 
N.  Y.  He  was  a  farmer  and  d.  at  Watertown,  Wis.,  Oct.,  1882. 
His  widow  d.  April  9,  1897,  at  Central  Lake,  Mich. 

Children  of  Charles  and  Lois  Ann  (Jackson)  Avery: 

i.       Lois  Angeline',  b.  July  24,  1844,  at  Henderson,  N.  Y.;    d. 
Dec.  27,  1845. 

1195.  ii.      Euphemia  Maria',  b.  Sept.  27,  1845,  at  Henderson. 

1196.  iii.     Edgar  Charles',  b.  May  22,  1847,  at  Verona,  N.  Y. 


The  Sixth  Generation  323 

1197.     iv.     Eugene  Lewis',  b.  March  16,  1854,  at  Concord,  Wis.;    d., 
1878,  at  Portland,  Ore. 
V.      Flora  Orabella',  b.  Nov.  16,  1863,  at  Concord;    d    Sept.  15, 
1864. 

486.  Lydia*^  Avery  (Samuel^,  Isaac*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  m.  Joseph  Denison.  He  d.  July  27,  1828,  aged  84; 
she  d.  March  13,  1839,  aged  84,  both  at  West  Stafford. 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Lydia  (Avery)  Denison,  b.  at  West 
Stafford : 

i.       Lucinda',  m.  Leonard  Smith;    d.  May  24,  1836,  aged  60,  at 

West  Spi'ingfield,  Mass. 
ii.      George',    m.    Phebe    Beaman;     lived    at    Warehouse    Point, 

Conn. 

iii.     Lydia',  m.  Wardwell. 

iv.     Sarah',  m.  McKenney. 

V.     Amos'. 

vi.     Clarissa',  b.   Nov.   13,   1789;    m.   John   Bi-agg;    d.  June  7, 

1875,  at  Somers,  Conn, 
vii.    Joseph',   b.   March   4,   1798;     m.   Adeline   Adams;     lived   at 

Northfield,  Vt. 
viii.  Hannah  M.',  m.  Absalom  Cady;    d.  March  19,  1835,  at  West 

Stafford. 
ix.     Ruby  E.',  b.  Feb.  19,  1799;    m.  Benjamin  Gold;    d.  Nov.  17, 

1870,  at  West  Stafford. 
X.      Robert',  m.  Mary  Burpee. 

491.  Charles'^  Avery  {DanieP,  Isaac*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Nov.  12,  1775,  at  West  Stafford  ;  m.  Oct.  23, 
1800,  at  Ellington,  Sarah  King.  He  was  a  carpenter  at  Somers. 
She  d.  July  27,  1840,  aged  58;  he  d.  Sept.  29,  1852,  both  at 
Somers. 

Children  of  Charles  and  Sarah  (King)  Avery,  b.  at  Somers: 
i.       Laura',  b.  Aug.  11,  1801;    d.  Nov.  9,  1803. 

1206.  ii.     Austin  King',  b.  Oct.  6,  1804. 

iii.     Sophronia',  b.  Oct.  30,  1809;    d.  Nov.  18,  1809. 

1207.  iv.     SoPHRONA  Fox',  b.  March  5,  1813. 

1208.  V.     Laurana  Charlotte',  b.  Feb.  14,  1820. 

492.  Henry ^  Avery  (Daniel^,  Isaac*,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Aug.  25,  1777,  at  West  Stafford;  m. 
Jan.  31,  1811,  at  Longmeadow,  Mass.,  Lydia  Hale,  dau.  of 
Thomas  and  Annie  (Stebbins)   Hale  of  Longmeadow.     She  was 


324  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


b.  Aug.  2,  1785,  at  Longmeadow.    He  was  a  farmer.    He  d.  April 
12,  1872 ;  she  d.  Oct.  25,  1872,  both  at  West  Stafford. 

Children  of  Henry  and  Lydia  (Hale)  Avery,  bo  at  West 
Stafford : 

1209.  i.       Daniel',  b.  April  18,  1812. 

ii.      Almira',  b.  April  12,  1814;  d.  Feb.  26,  1893,  at  Somers;  unm.. 

1210.  iii.     Lydia',  b.  April  24,  1816. 

1211.  iv.    Minerva',  b.  April  17,  1818. 

1212.  V.      Charlotte',  b.  May  31,  1821. 

vi.     Flavia  Anne',  b.  Feb.  19,  1824;    d.  Jan.  25,  1828. 

493.  Charlotte-  Avery  {DmiieV',  lsaac\  Thomas^,  James\ 
Christopher')  was  b.  Dec.  26,  1779,  at  West  Stafford;  m. 
Jan.  8,  1818,  at  West  Stafford,  as  his  second  wife,  Arab  Adams, 
s.  of  Zadoc  and  Ruth  (Bush)  Adams.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
carpenter  at  Suffield  and  West  Stafford.  He  d.  Nov.  22,  1826, 
aged  50;  she  d.  June  30,  1856,  both  at  West  Stafford.  No 
children. 

494.  Lovina'^  Avery  (Daniel%  Isaac^,  Thomas\  James^^ 
Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  6,  1781,  at  West  Stafford;  m.  March 
5,  1811,  at  West  Stafford,  Lotan  Hildreth.  His  parentage  is  un^ 
known.  He  d.  May  12,  1848 ;  she  d.  Sept.  17,  1852,  both  at  West 
Stafford.    No  children. 

495.  Elihu*'  Benton  Avery  (Daniel%  Isaac\  Thomas^, 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Nov.  26,  1784,  at  West  Stafford; 
m.  Jan.,  1810,  at  Somers,  Polly  Fuller,  dau.  of  Joseph  and  Polly 
(Jenks)  Fuller.  He  was  a  farmer.  She  d.  June  9,  1867;  he  d.. 
June  12,  1878,  both  at  West  Stafford. 

Children  of  Elihu  Benton  and  Polly  (Fuller)  Avery,  b.  at 
West  Stafford : 

Loren  Fox',  b.  June  10,  1811;    d.  June  6,  1846. 

LovATUS  King',  b.  Aug.  2o,  1813;    d.  Dec.  3,  1814. 

LovATUS  King',  b.  May  14,  1816;   d.  Aug.  16,  1857;   married;; 

no  further  record  received. 
Lyman  Wolcott',  b.  Jan.  7,  1818. 
Theodore  Morrison',  b.  May  20,  1820. 
Horatio  Delford',  b.  July  24,  1822. 

Danford  Hamilton',  b.  Aug.  8,  1824;   d.  March  13,  1828. 
i218.     viii.  Eliza  Amanda',  b.  Dec.  5,  1826. 


1213. 

1. 

ii. 

1214. 

iii. 

1215. 

iv. 

1216. 

V. 

1217. 

vi. 

Vll. 

The  Sixth   Generation  325 

1219.     ix.     Lauraett  Lorina',  b.  Oct.  2,  1828. 

X.  Lawson  Hamilton',  b.  June  19,  18.33;  d.  July  11,  1857;  at 
West  Stafford;    unm. 

496.  Azuba*'  Avery  (Daniel'',  Isaac^,  Thomas^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Feb.  6,  1790,  at  West  Stafford;  m.  Nov.  29, 
1809,  at  West  Stafford,  Guerdon  Woodworth,  s.  of  Charles  and 
Alithea  (Woodworth)  Woodworth. 

Children  of  Charles  and  Azuba  (Avery)  Woodworth : 
i.       Laura',  m.  Austin  O.  Bradley, 
ii.      Ann". 

iii.     Alithea',  m.  Daniel  Dimmock. 
iv.     Azuba'. 

497.  Lilly "^  Avery  (Daniel^,  Isaac^,  Thomas^,  James",  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Nov.  22,  1793,  at  West  Stafford;  m.  March  31, 
1811,  at  West  Stafford,  Charles  Woodworth,  s.  of  Charles  and 
Alithea  (Woodworth)  Woodworth.    He  d.  Jan.  9,  1857. 

Children  of  Charles  and  Lilly  (Avery)  Woodworth: 

i.  Caroline  L.',  b.  April  22,  1815,  at  Somers;  m.  William 
King;    d.  March  1,  1881,  at  Monson,  Mass. 

ii.  Charles  Lewis',  b.  May  2,  1820;  m.  2d,  Hannah  Amelia 
Perkins;  minister;  secretary  of  American  Missionary 
Association. 

iii.     Sherman  C.',  b.  Feb.  10,  1822;   m.  Emeline  Walbridge. 

iv.  Flavia  H.',  b.  March  13,  1824;  m.  Dwight  Keep,  at  Lock- 
port,  N.  Y. 

V.  Giles  W.',  b.  March  25,  1826;  m.  Jennette  A.  Holmes;  2d, 
Lavina  Goss. 

vi.  Dexter  S.',  b.  Nov.  6,  1827;  m.  Mindwell  Grant,  at  Mont- 
gomery, Mass. 

vii.  Emily  F.',  b.  March  5,  1830;  m.  Charles  Fay;  2d,  Daniel 
G.  Green. 

viii.  Maria  Theresa',  b.  Sept.,  1837;    died  young. 

505.  John**  Avery  (John%  John*,  John^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher') was  bap.  in  infancy,  Jan.  2,  1731,  First  Church  of 
Groton ;  m.  about  1752,  Mehitabel  Buell,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Abel  and 
Mehitabel  (Dewey)  Buell  (David  Avery  ms.) .  She  was  b.  May 
8,  1735,  at  Lebanon.  John  Avery  served  as  corporal  in 
Ebenezer  Leech's  co.,  1755 ;  in  Capt.  Bilhngs's  co.,  as  sergeant, 
1757  (Freyich  and  hidian  War  Rolls).  He  was  undoubtedly  in 
the  Revolution.  One  of  his  letters,  dated  Aug.  12,  1775,  and  now 
in  the  possession  of  a  descendant,  states  that  Gov.  Trumbull  had 


1229. 

1. 

1230. 

ii. 

1231. 

iii. 

1232. 

iv. 

1233. 

V. 

1234. 

vi. 

vii 

1235. 

vii 

1236. 

ix. 

326  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

received  word  from  Gen.  Washington  to  stop  the  troops  and 
recruiting  officers  on  the  road  and  that  he  [John  Avery]  feared 
that  he  would  have  to  disband  the  company  that  he  had  raised ; 
that  he  had  written  to  Col.  Sargeant  on  the  matter ;  that  he  was 
ready  to  join  the  regiment  or  to  go  to  New  London.  A  reference 
to  the  records  shows  that  such  an  order  was  given,  Aug.  9,  1775 
{Harriet  L.  Eames,  Bridgeport) .  John  Avery  was  buried  Jan. 
8,  1814,  at  Ellington ;  the  date  of  her  death  is  unknown. 
Children  of  John  and  Mehitabel  (Buell)  Avery: 

Rhoda",  b.  Nov.  30,  1753,  at  Goshen. 

John',  b.  Jan.  21,  1756,  at  Goshen. 

Lydia',  b.  Dec.  28,  1757,  at  Goshen. 

Abel',  b.  Aug.  30,  1760,  at  Norwich. 

Jabez',  b.  Jan.  29,  1764,  at  Norwich. 

Elizabeth',  b.  July  1,  1766,  at  Norwich. 

David',  bap.  Sept.  18,  1768,  First  Church  of  Norwich;    d.  y. 

Asa',  b.  March  12,  1770,  at  Norwich. 

Charlotte'  {David  Avery  ms.). 

506.  Jabez''  Avery  (John^,  John*,  John^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher-^) was  bap.  in  infancy,  April  14,  1734,  First  Church  of 
Groton ;  m.  Nov.  18,  1761,  at  Norwich,  Lucy  Bushnell,  dau. 
of  Capt.  Richard  and  Lucy  (Perkins)  Bushnell.  She  was  b. 
Sept.  10,  1733,  at  Norwich.  It  has  been  surmised  that  he  had  a 
first  wife,  Lydia,  who  d,  soon  after  marriage,  but  diligent  search 
fails  to  reveal  such  an  one.  He  was  a  coachmaker  at  Norwich. 
He  was  in  the  "Lexington  Alarm" ;  corporal,  1775,  7th  co.,  6th 
reg't;  in  Capt.  Brewster's  co.,  Col.  Huntington's  reg't^  1776;  d. 
in  the  army  of  smallpox,  Jan.  30,  1779  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n, 
7,  76,  102).  His  estate  was  not  fully  settled  until  May,  1802. 
His  widow  d.  Aug.  19,  1788,  at  Norwich ;  she  was  buried  by  the 
side  of  her  husband  in  the  Norwichtown  burying-ground. 

Children  of  Jabez  and  Lucy  (Bushnell)   Avery,  b.  at  Nor- 
wich, and  bap.  in  the  First  Church  there : 

Jabez',  b.  April  16,  1763. 

Richard',  b.  April  24,  1764. 

Lucy',  b.  Jan.  1,  1766. 

Hannah',  b.  Nov.  26,  1767. 

John',  b.  March  4,  1769. 

Guerdon',  b.  Jan.  14,  1771. 

Caleb',  b.  Dec.  25,  1773. 

Lydia',  bap.  Aug.  6,  1775;    d.  Oct.  30,  1775. 


1237. 

1. 

1238. 

ii. 

1239. 

iii. 

1240. 

iv. 

1241. 

V. 

1242. 

vi. 

1243. 

vii. 

viii 

The  Sixth  Generation  327 

507.  Amos*^  Avery  {John;',  Jo]m\  John-,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  bap.  April  18,  1736,  First  Church  of  Groton;  m. 
Nov.  2,  1756,  at  Norwich,  Irene  Kingsbury,  dau.  of  Capt. 
Ephraim  and  Martha  (Smith)  Kingsbury.  She  was  b.  Dec.  15, 
1737,  at  Norwich.  He  m.  2d,  Anna  Edg-arton,  dau.  of  Cornet 
Hezekiah  and  Ann  (Abell)  Edgarton.  She  was  b.  Oct.  9,  1738, 
at  Norwich,  He  d.  Aug.  11,  1823,  at  North  Coventry.  She  was 
alive  Sept.  8,  1715  {David  Avery  ms.) .  It  has  been  difficult  to 
determine  the  names  and  order  of  the  children.  The  following, 
from  the  David  Avery  ms.,  the  Coventry  records,  and  family 
papers,  is  probably  substantially  correct. 

Child  of  Amos  and  Irene  (Kingsbury)  Avery,  b.  at  Nor- 
wich : 

1244.    i.      Amos',  b.  May  22,  1757. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Anna  (Edgarton)  Avery: 

Hannah'. 

Daniel'. 

Jabez',  b.  Jan.  3,  1763,  at  Coventry. 

Asahel',  b.  May  6,  1765,  at  Coventry. 

Amariah'. 

Jeduthan',  b.  Feb.  15,  1780,  at  Coventry. 

Anna'. 

508.  Lydia''  Avery  {Johir,  John*,  John^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  bap.  July  23,  1738,  First  Church  of  Colchester;  m. 
John  Gager,  s.  of  John  and  Jerusha  (Barstow)  Gager  of  Frank- 
lin {David  Avery  ms.) .  He  was  b.  Nov.  13,  1736,  at  Norwich. 
She  d.  Nov.  9,  1785,  at  Norwich.  He  m.  again ;  d.  Nov.  10,  1817, 
at  Norwich. 

Children  of  John  and  Lydia  (Avery)  Gager,  b.  at  Norwich: 
i.       Irene',  b.  April  13,  1761;    d.  y. 
ii.      Lydia',  b.  Dec.  24,  1762;   m.  Cheral  Abel, 
iii.     John',  b.  Aug.  15,  1764;    d.  March  20,  1851,  at  Norwich, 
iv.     Asanath',  b    Jan.  1,  1767;    m.  Green  Marshall  McCall. 
V.      Bethenia'. 
vi.     Othniel',  b.  Aug.  25,  1769;    m.  Rebecca  Rudd;    was  town 

clerk  of  Norwich  for  forty  years;    d.  April  18,  1841,  at 

Norwich, 
vii.    Amos',  b.  May  9,  1772;   m.  Sarah  Throop. 
viii.  Alvin',  b.  Dec.  15,  1776;    d.  Sept.  25,  1778. 
ix.     Anna',  b.  May  24,  1781;    d.  y. 


1245. 

1, 

1246. 

ii. 

1247. 

iii. 

1248. 

iv. 

1249. 

V. 

1250. 

vi. 

1251. 

vii 

328 


The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


509.  Nathan '^  Avery  {John%  John\  John\  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Nov.  22,  1737,  at  Groton;  m.  Nov.  20,  1766,  at 
Preston,  Mercy  Burrows.  He  d.  at  Leyden,  Mass.,  Nov.  19,  1829. 
Children  of  Nathan  and  Mercy  (Burrows)  Avery,  b.  at 
Preston ;  all  bap.  in  the  First  Church  of  Preston : 

Mercy',  b.  April  12,  1768;    d.  unm. 

Ann',  b.  April  29,  1770;    d.  April  30,  1773. 

Sarah',  b.  Sept.  26,  1772. 

Esther',  b.  April  22,  1775;    d.  unm. 

Polly',  b.  April,  1778. 


1253. 


1254. 


1. 
ii. 
iii. 
iv. 

V. 


510.  Nehemiah«  Avery  {John\  John\  John\  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) m.  April  23,  1766,  Anna  Denison,  dau.  of  John  and 
Abigail  (Avery)  Denison  (No.  176).  He  served  in  Nehemiah 
Waterman's  co.,  1779,  20th  reg't  of  militia,  detached  to  co- 
operate with  Count  D'Estaing  {Con7i.  Me7i  in  the  Rev'n,  555). 
He  d.  at  Norwich,  Aug.  26,  1789,  and  his  widow  m.  Amos  Clift, 
Nov.,  1799. 


NEHEMIAH   AVERY 


ANNA    '  DENISON     AVERY 


Children  of  Nehemiah  and  Anna  (Denison)  Avery; 

1255.  i.   David',  b.  May  4,  1768. 

1256.  ii.   Bebee  Denison',  b.  June  6,  1771. 

iii.  William',  b.  1775;  d.  June  15,  1790. 

1257.  iv.  Nancy',  b.  Sept.  12,  1785. 


The  Sixth  Generation 


329 


511.     David''    Avery     {John',  John\  John"^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  April  5,  1746,  at  Norwich;    m.  Oct.  10,  1782,  at 
Mansfield,    Hannah    Chaplin,     dau.    of    Benjamin    and    Mary 
(Paine)    Chaplin.      She    was    b.    Aug.    3,    1752,    at    Mansfield. 
David  Avery  was  prepared  for  Yale  at  the  Rev.  Eleazur  Whee- 


THE   REV.    DAVID   AVERY 


lock's  school  at  Lebanon  where  he  became  interested  in  the 
Indians.  In  1766,  he  went  as  missionary  to  the  Indians  of  west- 
ern New  York.  After  his  return  from  Fort  Stanwix,  he  was 
graduated  at  Yale,  in  1769.  He  preached  for  a  time  to  the 
Indians  of  Long  Island.  In  1771,  he  went  to  Hanover,  N.  H., 
where  Dr.  Wheelock  had  begun  a  college.     August  29,  1771,  he 


330  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

was  ordained  assistant  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kirkland,  at  Oneida, 
New  York,  where  he  spent  a  year  among  the  Indians.  He 
finished  his  studies  in  divinity  with  Dr.  Wheelock  at  Hanover 
and  received  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Dartmouth 
College  in  1773.  The  same  year,  he  became  pastor  of  the 
Congregational  church  at  Windsor,  Mass.  He  marched  from 
Windsor  on  the  "Lexington  Alarm,"  w^ith  about  twenty  of  his 
parishioners;  w^as  made  chaplain  of  Col.  Patterson's  regiment, 
April  22,  1775,  later  becoming  chaplain  of  the  fourth  Massachu- 
setts brigade.  His  diaries,  extending  through  the  w^ar,  w^ere  in 
the  possession  of  George  Austin  Clark,  of  Utica,  New  York,  a 
descendant.  From  these  w^e  learn  that  David  Avery  w^as  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill ;  Noodle's  Island ;  the  siege  of  New  York ; 
in  the  Canada  expedition  of  which  he  has  left  a  graphic  account. 
He  crossed  the  Delaw^are  with  Washington  and  w^as  in  the  battle 
of  Trenton.  (See  Avery's  History  of  the  United  States  and  its 
People,  vol.  6,  chap.  2.)  The  following  account,  taken  from  his 
diary,  will  give  some  idea  of  the  value  of  these  little  books,  which 
should  be  published : 

25.  Wednesday.  Left  ye  charge  of  Majr.  Sherburne's  horse  and  mine 
with  Mr.  C.  Vanhorn,  N.  Town,  as  we  expect  to  be  gone  upon  an 
expedition  some  time.  Left  a  shirt  and  tenting  irons  in  a  white 
Holland  handkerchief,  in  the  care  of  Mr.  Wm.  Ashburn  in  New 
Town,  a  little  more  than  half  quarter  mile  north  of  the  Presbyterian 
Ch.  Genl.  St.  Clare's  brigade  formed  and  marcht  out  of  town  about 
sunset,  on  their  way  to  Trenton,  they  stopt  &  took  ammunition  and 
flint  at  Wm.  Keith's,  proceeded  to  Yarley's  Ferry,  about  9  miles 
above  Trenton — we  made  a  halt — struck  up  fires,  left  our  packs,  and 
all  got  across  the  Delaware  by  3  oC.  in  the  morning,  when  we  pro- 
ceeded to  Trenton,  &  arrived  there  just  before  the  action  was  over. 
Genls.  Washington,  Green  &  Sullivan  with  several  brigadiers,  and 
about  3000  men  crost  the  river  before  us. 

26.  Thursday.  Genl.  Washington  began  his  attack  on  ye  Hessions 
about  sunrise,  by  first  taking  &  driving  in  their  out-guards, — in 
about  20  minutes  the  fire  on  &  from  the  town  became  general  when 
ye  fieldpieces  &  musquetry  played  briskly  from  both  sides  wh  con- 
tinued about  25  minutes,  &  then  the  enemy  left  ye  town,  &  soon 
surrendered  Prisoners  of  war.  We  took  6  excellent  brass  field 
pieces,  about  1400  stands  of  small  ai-ms,  a  waggon  load  of  ammuni- 
tion &c  &c — &  about  1180  Prisoners — among  wh  was  a  Col.  acting 
as  a  brigadier.  Near  60  were  killed  and  wounded,  among  whom 
was  a  Col.  mortally  wounded,  the  second  in  command.     The  lower 


The  Sixth   Generation  331 

division  not  being  able  to  cross  the  river  by  reason  of  ice,  the  Genl. 
ordered,  us  to  return  immediately.  We  were  greatly  distrest  with  a 
very  cold  storm  of  rain,  hail  &  snow,  wh  blew  with  great  violence 
from  the  N.east  from  four  oC.  'till  night.  The  prisoners  marcht  up 
&  crost  at  Yarley's  Ferry — the  wounded  officers  were  left  on  their 
parole.  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  cross  the  river  before  night,  wh 
was  exceeding  difficult  to  cross  by  reason  of  the  abundance  of  the 
ice.  I  was  extremely  chilled,  &  came  near  perishing  before  I  could 
get  to  a  fire. 

David  Avery  was  released  from  his  pastorate  in  1777,  with 
the  best  of  feeling  on  both  sides,  because  he  felt  that  it  was  his 
duty  to  remain  in  the  army.  From  his  diary  we  learn  that  he 
shouldered  a  musket  when  need  required.  He  remained  in  the 
army  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war,  he  preached  in 
several  places.  He  again  went  as  missionary  to  the  New  York 
Indians,  when,  after  an  interval  of  thirty-three  years,  he  again 
met  Red  Jacket.  They  greeted  each  other  with  great  affec- 
tion. In  1801,  he  went  as  missionary  to  Maine.  He  has  left  a 
delightful  account  of  this  expedition.  He  was  the  first  historian 
of  the  Groton  Avery  clan.  He  began  his  genealogical  work  about 
1800 ;  his  manuscript  pages  have  been  of  great  aid  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  this  work.  He  obtained  much  information  from  his 
great-aunt.  Thankful  Avery  (No.  177),  who  was  born  in  1718 
and  died  in  1813.  It  was  his  statement  to  the  effect  that  Christo- 
pher Avery  was  a  kersey  weaver  from  Devon  that  first  directed 
attention  to  that  county.  This  resulted  in  finding  the  parentage 
and  the  name  of  the  wife  of  the  emigrant,  Christopher  Avery. 
Many  of  David  Avery's  printed  sermons  as  well  as  his  diaries 
covering  a  period  of  forty  years  are  still  preserved.  One  of  his 
sermons  in  our  possession  is  a  song  of  exultation  over  the 
alliance  with  the  French.  In  this  he  reviews  the  war  and  its 
causes,  and  points  out  that  the  truth  must  prevail.  It  was 
preached  before  Col.  Sherburne's  regiment,  December  18,  1777. 

David  Avery  died  Feb.  16,  1818,  while  preparing  for  a 
journey  to  Virginia;  his  widow  died  Jan.  15,  1837,  at  Hampton., 

Children  of  the  Rev.  David  and  Hannah  (Chaplin)  Avery: 

1258.  i.       Mary  Chaplin',  b.  July  4,  1783,  at  Mansfield. 

ii.  Hannah',  b.  June  7,  1785;   d.  May  15,  1786,  at  Mansfield. 

1259.  iii.  David',  b.  Sept.  7,  1787,  at  Wrentham,  Mass. 

1260.  iv.  Hannah',  b.  June  27,  1790,  at  Wrentham. 

1261.  V.  Lydia  Smith',  b.  April  29,  1793,  at  Hampton. 


332  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


512.  Roswell''  Avery  (John',  John',  John\  James-,  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Dec.  17,  1748,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec.  13,  1770,  at 
Groton,  Martha  Fish,  dau.  of  Capt.  Jonathan  and  Abigail  (Fish) 
Fish.  She  was  b.  April  1,  1753,  at  Groton.  He  d.  Dec.  1,  1781, 
at  Groton. 

Children  of  Roswell  and  Martha   (Fish)   Avery,  b.  at  Gro- 
ton: 

i.       Lydia  Fish',  b.  Oct.  2,  1771;    d.  May  25,  1848;    unm. 

1262.  ii.      Martha  Fish',  b.  Oct.  2,  1771. 

iii.     MosES^  b.  Aug.  10,  1773;    d.  Feb.  8,  1794,  at  Groton. 

1263.  iv.     Abigail  Fish',  b.  Sept.  3,  1776;    d.  March  28,  1855. 
V.      Matilda  Fish',  b.  Aug.  8,  1780 ;    d.  March  13,  1802. 

513.  Sarah''  Avery    {John\  John\  John\  James-,  Christo- 
pher') m.  Elijah  Brockway    (David  Avery  ms.) . 

Children  of  Elijah  and  Sarah   (Avery)   Brockway   {David 

Avery  ms.)  : 

i.  Charlotte'. 

ii.  Sarah'. 

iii.  Elijah'. 

iv.  Roswell'. 

V.  Nathan'. 

vi.  George'. 

514.  George"  Avery  {George%  John\  John\  James',  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  April  24,  1759,  at  Groton;  m.  Mary  Allyn,  dau. 
of  Nathan  and  Sarah  (Freeman)  Allyn.  She  was  b.  March, 
1766,  at  Groton.  Nathan  Allyn  was  the  s.  of  Robert  and  Abigail 
(Avery)  Allyn  (No.  75). 

Children  of  George  and  Mary  (Allyn)  Avery: 

1264.  i.  George'. 

1265.  ii.  Christopher'.  He  d.  Sept.  12,  1815. 

1266.  iii.  Simeon',  b.  Oct.  9,  1794. 

1267.  iv.  Alfred',  b.  March  9,  1797,  at  Montville. 

1268.  V.  Cynthia'. 

1269.  vi.  Mary'. 

515.  William'  Avery  {George^  John*,  John\  James-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Jan.  26,  1764,  at  Groton;  m.  Phebe  Gallup,  dau. 
of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Gardner)  Gallup.  She  was  b.  April  10, 
1762.  He  d.  July  25,  1818,  at  Groton ;  she  d.  March  30,  1840,  at 
Groton ;  both  were  buried  in  the  Avery-Morgan  burying-ground. 


The  Sixth  Generation  833 


Children  of  William  and  Phebe  (Gallup)  Avery: 

1270.  i.       William',  b.  May  1,  1791,  at  Groton. 

1271.  ii.      Phebe'. 

1272.  iii.     Lucretia'. 

1273.  iv.     Guerdon'. 

The  last  three  names  are  found  only  in  the  David  Avery  ms. 

516.  Eunice"  Avery  {George'" ,  John*,  John^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  Sept.  25,  1767,  at  Groton;  m.  Capt.  Caleb  John- 
son, s.  of  Robert  Johnson  of  Montville.  He  d.  Aug.  8,  1809,  in  the 
46th  j^ear  of  his  age.  She  m.  2d,  Caleb  Avery,  whose  identity  has 
not  been  determined,  but  he  was  probably  No,  685. 

"Eunice  Avery  relic  of  Capt.  Caleb  Johnson  &  Caleb  Avery  died  Sept. 
15,  1829,  aged  62  years"  {Tombstone,  Avery-Morgan  burying- 
ground) . 

She  probably  had  children  by  her  first  husband.  Eunice,  daugh- 
ter of  Caleb  Johnson,  b.  April  27,  1790,  m.  Thomas  Allyn,  and  d. 
in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  June  18,  1861. 

517.  AbeF  Avery  {George'',  John*,  John^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  April  2,  1769,  at  Groton;  m.  Temperance  Avery 
(No.  825),  dau.  of  Christopher  and  Dorothy  (Heatn)  Avery 
{David  Avery  ms.).  She  was  b.  June  14,  1773.  Abel  Avery  was 
killed  by  the  fall  of  the  topmast  on  Capt.  Amos  Smith's  ship,  on 
Long  Island  Sound,  Dec.  30,  1806  {David  Avery  ms.) .  David 
Avery  preached  the  funeral  sermon,  Jan.  6,  1807,  from  Isaiah 
50:10. 

Children  of  Abel  and  Temperance    (Avery)    Avery,  b.  at 
Groton : 

Lucr,  b.  Feb.  26,  1796;    d.  Oct.  30,  1858,  at  Groton;   unm. 
Temperance',  b.  1798;    d.  March  24,  1880,  at  Groton,  aged 

82. 
Abel    (David  Avery  ms.) . 
Henry^  (David  Avery  ms.) . 
David',  b.  Nov.,  1804. 
Thomas',  b.  July  16,  1807. 

518.  Phebe''  Avery  {George%  John*,  John\  James^,  Christo- 
pher') was  b.  Dec.  25,  1771,  at  Groton;  m.  March  15,  1790,  at 
Groton,  Nicholas  Morgan,  s.  of  James  and  Catharine  (Street) 
Morgan.  He  d.  April  28,  1845,  at  Groton,  aged  83;  she  d.  Nov. 
21,  1860,  at  Groton. 


1. 

ii. 

1274. 

iii. 

1275. 

iv. 

1276. 

V. 

1277. 

vi. 

334  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Children  of  Nicholas  and  Phebe    (Avery)    Morgan,  b.  at 

Groton : 

i.       Nicholas',  b.  Nov.  19,  1790;    d.  Oct.  19,  1793. 

ii.      Phebe',  b.   Sept.  23,  1792;    m.  Henry  Harding;    d.  Oct.  11, 

1865,  at  Groton. 
iii.     Sally',  b.  March  1,  1794;    d.  Feb.  27,  1796. 
iv.     Guerdon',  b.  Sept.  6,  1796;   m.  Sarah  Ann  Disbrow. 
V.      Sanford',  b.  Nov.  11,  1798;    m.  Lavinia  Avery   (No.  1764); 

2d,Harriet  Edgcombe;    3d,  Cornelia  Avery  (No.  1825;   he 

d.  Aug.  17,  1888,  at  Groton. 
vi.     Calvin',  b.  April  11,  1801;    m.  Julia  M.  Disbrow;    d.  Sept. 

21,  1887,  at  Groton. 
vii.    Nicholas',  b.   May  12,   1803;     m.   Mary  Mahon;    2d,   Pedy 

Thompson  Bushnell. 
viii.  Lydia',  b.  Feb.  10,  1805;    m.  Horatio  Nelson  Fish;    d.  Jan. 

30,  1891. 
ix.     Jerusha',  b.  July  6,  1807;    m.  Daniel  B.  Meech. 
X.      John  Avery',  b.  March   15,  1809;    m.  Almira  Brown;    2d, 

Susan  Amelia  Pendleton;    d.  Jan.  6,  1883,  at  Pawkatuck. 
xi.     Nancy  Ann',  b.  Sept.  26,  1811;    m.  Ebenezer  A.  Mitchell; 

d.  April  28,  1888,  at  Groton. 
xii.    Youngs',  b.  Feb.  5,  1814;   m.  Abby  M.  Clark;    2d,  her  sister, 

Elizabeth  Ann  Clark;    d.  July  26,  1885,  at  Groton. 

519.  John"  Avery  {George^,  John*,  Jolin^,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^) was  b.  Oct.  22,  1774,  at  Groton ;  m.  Feb.  26,  1797,  at  New 
London,  Lucy  Rogers,  dau.  of  Peter  and  Hannah  (Rogers) 
Rogers.  She  was  b.  Aug.  1,  1776,  at  Montville.  John  Avery 
died  in  New  York  City  of  cholera,  August  7,  1832.  The  names 
of  the  children  are  compiled  from  the  manuscript  of  David 
Avery,  which  gives  the  names  of  the  first  four  children  with  no 
dates,  the  history  of  Montville,  and  letters  of  Robert  J.  Avery  of 
San  Francisco,  the  son  of  George.  Robert  J.  Avery  says  that  the 
family  Bible  is  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Lucy  Jones  of  Noank. 
A  letter  addressed  to  her  was  returned  to  us. 

Children  of  John  and  Lucy  (Rogers)  Avery: 


1278. 

i. 

John'. 

1279. 

ii. 

Lucy'. 

1280. 

iii. 

Peter  Rogers', 

1281. 

iv. 

Betsey'. 

1282. 

V. 

George'. 

1283. 

vi. 

William'. 

1284. 

1. 

1285. 

ii. 

1286. 

iii. 

1287. 

iv. 

1288. 

V. 

The  Sixth   Generation  335 

520.  Cyrus''  Avery  (George",  John*,  John'-,  James-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  March  23,  1778,  at  Groton;  m.  Nancy  Forsyth, 
daii.  of  Charles  Forsyth  of  Preston.  He  was  a  shoemaker.  He 
died  Oct.,  1856,  at  Hudson,  Mich. 

Children  of  Cyrus  and  Nancy  (Forsyth)  Avery: 
IMary  Emeline',  b.  July  26,  1806,  at  Norwich. 
Charles  Forsyth',  b.  Dec.  12,  1807,  at  Groton. 
Hannah  Chapman'. 

Fanny  Fitch',  b.  Jan.  22,  1812,  at  Preston. 
George  Williams',  b.  June  22,  1815,  at  Bozrah. 
vi.     David',  b.  1817;    died  young. 

521.  Sarah''  Avery  (George^  John*,  John^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  Nov.  14,  1781,  at  Groton;  m.  Edward  Denison 
Noyes,  s,  of  James  and  Eunice  (Denison)  Noyes.  He  was  b. 
Sept.  2,  1773,  at  Stonington.    She  died  Aug.  6,  1856. 

Children  of  Edward  Denison  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Noyes: 
i.       James',  m.  Eliza  Denison;    d.  Oct.  27,  1843. 
ii.      Edward',  d.  unm. 

iii.     Eunice',  b.  Aug.  16,  1806,  at  Stonington;    ni.  Paul  Noyes; 
d.  April  23,  1881,  at  Stonington. 

522.  Elisha'^    Avery    {Nathaniel^,  Nathaniel*,  John-,  James'-, 

Christopher^)   m.    Mercy  .     He  d.  before  1818.     Ehsha 

Avery  served  in  Col.  Parson's  regiment,  sixth  company,  1775 
{Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  72) .  His  widow  was  living  in  1819,  at 
Lyons,  in  Ontario  County,  N.  Y.,  aged  79,  and  testified  that  her 
husband  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war  with  his  brother,  Nathan 
Avery,  but  died  before  he  was  able  to  secure  a  pension.  In  the 
settlement  of  the  estate  of  Elisha  Avery,  Isaac  Owens  and  John 
Chambers  appear  as  claimants  {Surrogate's  office,  Canandaigiia, 
N.  Y.,  139:430). 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Mercy  Avery : 

1289.  i.       Nathaniel'. 

1290.  ii.      Elisha'. 

524.  Nathan'^  Avery  {NathayiieP,  Nathaniel*,  John-,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  about  1754;  m.  April  9,  1776,  at  Lyme, 
Alifif  Pearson.  He  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war  under  Capt. 
Daniel  F.  Sill,  Col.  Parson's  regiment;  also  in  same  regi- 
ment under  Capt.  James  Chapman;   was  in  the  siege  of  Boston; 


336  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


1294. 

1. 

1295. 

ii. 

1296. 

iii. 

1297. 

iv. 

1298. 

V. 

1299. 

vi. 

1300. 

vii 

1301. 

vii 

1302. 

ix. 

1303. 

X. 

battles  around  New  York ;  battle  of  White  Plains ;  saw  his  cap- 
tain killed ;  applied  for  a  pension,  April,  1818,  that  was  granted 
(Pensio7i  Papers  &  Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  p.  641).  He  moved 
to  Bridgewater,  Vt.,  after  the  war  and  later  to  Palmyra, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  d.  May  3,  1821.  His  widow  went  to  Bridgewater, 
Vt.,  where  she  applied  for  a  pension,  July,  1837,  aged  81 
years  (Widows'  Pension  File,  17223), 

Children  of  Nathan  and  Aliff  (Pearson)  Avery: 

Pearson  Peck',  b.  April  23,  1779,  at  Lyme,  Conn. 

Abijah  Pearson". 

Hepsibah';    m.  Nathan  Dimock. 

Betsey',  b.  Jan.  18,  1786. 

Abraham'. 

Nathan'. 

Polly';    m.  Caleb  Snow. 

Aliff';    m.  John  Hall. 

Phebe'. 

Benjamin  Perkins',  b.  Jan.  26,  1799,  at  Rutland,  Vt. 

526.  Margery*^  Avery  {NathanieV',  Nathaniel^  John^^ 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  Jan.  11,  1757,  at  Lyme;  m.  Oct.  20, 
1779,  at  Lyme,  Abner  Shipman. 

Children  of  Abner  and  Margery   (Avery)    Shipman,  b.  at 

Lyme: 

i.  William',  b.  May  19,  1780. 

ii.  Christopher',  b.  June  18,  1781. 

iii.  Hallam',  b.  Sept.  19,  1782. 

iv.  Elijah',  b.  April  22,  1785. 

V.  Betsey',  b.  Sept.  20,  1786. 

vi.  Elisha',  b.  April  6,  1788. 

vii.  Abner',  b.  March  20,  1790. 

viii.  Nathaniel',  b.  March  21,  1791 

ix.  Josiah',  b.  April  7,  1793. 

X.  Roswell',  b.  Oct.  20,  1794. 

xi.  Sanford',  b.  Dec.  22,  1796. 

xii.  Parthena',  b.  Sept.  6,  1798. 

xiii.  Charles',  b.  June  6,  1802. 

528.  William'"'  Avery  {William^,  NoAhaniel\  John'\  James", 
Christopher'^)  ;  m.  May  8,  1770,  at  Sharon,  Lucy  Everett, 
dau.  of  Ebenezer  and  Lucy  (Moulton)  Everett.  She  was  b.  May 
1,  1750,  at  Sharon.  William  Avery  enlisted  from  Sharon  in 
Capt.  Edward  Rogers's  company,  Col.  Gray's  regiment,  Wads- 


YdlO. 

1. 

1311. 

ii. 

1312. 

iii. 

1313. 

iv. 

1314. 

V. 

1315. 

vi. 

1316. 

vii. 

1317. 

viii 

1318. 

ix. 

1319. 

X. 

The  Sixth  Generation  337 

worth's  brigade  as  sergeant ;    was  in  battle  of  Long  Island  and 
battle  of  White  Plains  {Coyui.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  396).    He  was 
a  hatter  and  later  moved  to  Duanesburg,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died. 
Children  of  William  and  Lucy  (Everett)  Avery: 

Anna',  b.  July  21,  1771,  at  Sharon. 

William'. 

Eliphalet',  b.  June  25,  1775,  at  Sharon. 

Moulton'. 

Ira'. 

Lucy';    m.  Jonathan  Hatch,  April  3,  1794. 

Sluman'. 

Amy',  b.  Feb.  6,  1786. 

Whitfield'. 

Amos',  b.  Oct.  15,  1790,  near  Duanesburg,  N.  Y. 

530.     Silvanus'"    Avery  (William^',  Nathaniel',  John^,  James-, 

Christopher'')  ;     m.    June    6,    1782,    at    Lyme,     Mary    Luther. 

He  served  in  Col.  Latimer's  reg't,  Jonathan  Calkins's  co.,  1777 

(Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  505).    January  15,  1781,  Daniel  Avery 

of  Sharon  deeded  to  his  brother,  Silvanus  Avery,  land  that  he 

had  of  their  honored  father,  William  Avery,  deceased    (Lyme 

Deeds,  16:300).     July  6,  1790,  Silvanus  Avery,  John  Moor,  jr., 

and  Temperance  Moor,  his  wife,  heirs  to  the  estate  of  William 

Avery  late  of  Lyme,  quitclaimed  certain  lands  to  Mary  Dailey, 

of  Lyme,  widow  of  William  Avery  and  their  honored  mother 

(Lyme  Deeds,  16:423-5).    He  was  appointed  ensign  in  14th  co., 

3d  reg't,  Oct.,  1792  (Ms.  State  Papers,  Hartford). 

Children   of    Silvanus   and    Mary    (Luther)    Avery,   b.    at 

Lyme: 

Benjamin',  b.  March  15,  1784. 
Betsey',  b.  April  12,  1793. 
Olive',  b.  June  3,  1796. 
Silvanus',  b.  Oct.  2,  1799. 
Nancy',  b.  Aug.  31,  1801. 
Lucy',  b.  March  4,  1805. 

The  above  record  of  births,  taken  from  the  Lyme  book,  is  all 
that  we  have  been  able  to  learn  concerning  these  children. 

532.  Temperance "  Avery  (William'',  Nathaniel^,  John^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  ;  m.  April  2,  1772,  at  Lyme,  John  Moor, 
s.  of  John  Moor.    She  signed  various  deeds  with  her  brothers  as 


1325. 

1. 

1326. 

ii. 

1327. 

iii. 

1328. 

iv. 

1329. 

V. 

1330. 

vi. 

338  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

one  of  the  heirs  of  William  Avery,  her  father    {Lyme  Deeds, 

16 : 423-5) .    Nothing  further  has  been  found  except  the  record  of 

the  births  of  the  children. 

Children   of  John  and   Temperance    (Avery)    Moor,   b.  at 

Lyme: 

i.       Mart,  b.  May  17,  1773. 

ii.  Elisha',  b.  May  21,  1775. 

iii.  Avery',  b.  Feb.  4,  1777. 

iv.  Richards  b.  Oct.  20,  1778. 

V.  Russell',  b.  Jan.  9,  1781. 

vi.  Lucr,  b.  Oct.  6,  1783. 

vii.  Eunice',  b.  Sept.  27,  1786. 

viii.  Abigail',  b.  May  29,  1788. 

ix.  John',  b.  Oct.  10,  1790. 

X.  Abel',  b.  Aug.  12,  1796. 

xi.  William',  b.  April  1,  1801. 

543.  Amos'^  Avery  {Andrew^,  Nathaniel,  John-,  James-, 
Christopher^)  ;  married  Arthena  Rowland;  she  d.  in  1805;  he 
m.  2d,  June,  1811,  at  Topsham,  Vt.,  Betsey  Farnum,  widow 
of  John  Tucker.  He  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  carried 
the  powder-horn  that  his  father  had  carried  in  the  old  French 
wars.  He  d.  Dec.  25,  1825,  at  Corinth,  Vt.  His  widow 
applied  for  a  pension  in  1860.  The  little  that  we  know  about  the 
family  is  obtained  from  her  pension  paper. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Arthena  (Rowland)  Avery: 
i.       Ezra',  died  single. 

1340.  ii.      Rebecca';    m.  William  Cunningham;    no  children. 

1341.  iii.     Josiah',  b.  April  10,  1800. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Betsey  (Farnum)  Avery: 

1342.  i.       Clarissa',  b.  1812. 

1343.  ii.      Arthena';    married;    went  to  Maine;    no  children. 

1344.  iii.     Eliza';    m.  Annis  and  had  one  child.  Parley;    m.  2d, 

Cotton  Foote. 

544.  Nathaniel"  Avery  {Andrew^,  Nathaniel*,  John^-,  James-, 
Christopher'')   was  b.  May,  1764,  at  Lyme;    m.    Jerusha  Hare. 

He  was  a  pensioner.  He  lived  in  Lebanon  Goshen  at  time 
of  enlistment ;  served  five  months,  1779 ;  six  months  in  militia, 
1780 ;  teamster  under  Reuben  Porter,  1781 ;  moved  to  Bozrah 
after  the  war ;   then  to  Hebron ;   then  to  Corinth.  Vt. ;   and  then 


The  Sixth  Generation  339 


to  Topsham,  where  he  applied  for  pension,  Dec.  13,  1833,  aged 
"69  years  last  May"  (Pension  Papers,  Inv.  18693).  His  wife 
died  July  3,  1839. 

Children  of  Nathaniel  and  Jerusha  (Hare)  Avery: 
i.       Polly',  b.  Jan.  13,  1788;    d.  March  18,  1796. 
ii.      Simeon',  b.  Aug.  9,  1791;    d.  July  29,  1806. 
iii.     Abigail',  b.  Feb.  4,  1795;    d.  Feb.  15,  1795. 
iv.     Celinda',  b.  July  2,  1797;    d.  May  15,  1800. 
1345.    V.      Nathaniel',  b.  Oct.  4,  1804. 

545.  Abigail"    Avery   iAndreiv%  Nathaniel^  John\  James-, 
Christopher')  ;   m.  Robert  McCrillis. 

Child  of  Robert  and  Abigail  (Avery)  McCrillis: 
i.       Robert',  b.  Sept.  24,  1806;    m.  Sally  Ford. 

546.  Andrew*'  Avery     {Andreiu%  Nathaniel^,  John\  James-, 
Christopher'')  ;  m.  Eunice  Rowland. 

Children  of  Andrew  and  Eunice  (Rowland)  Avery: 

Andrew',  b.  Feb.  28,  1795,  at  Corinth,  Vt. 
Richard  Rowland',  b.  at  Corinth. 
John'.     He  m.  Ruth  Davis;    no  further  record. 
Eunice';    died  young. 
Martha'. 
Betsey'. 
Moses'. 
Annis'. 
Belinda'. 

Nancy'.     She  is  said  to  have  m.  Enos  Feltch,  the  widower  of 
her  sister,  Belinda. 

547.  Christopher"  Avery  (Andreiv^,  Nathaniel*,  John^, 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Oct.  15,  1773;  m.  Dec.  15,  1794,  at 
Meriden,  Sally  Jones.  She  was  b.  Jan.  20,  1776.  They  lived  at 
Corinth,  Vt.,  where  she  d.  July  15,  1819.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  1812  (Vermont  Gazetteer,  3:  883).  He  m.  2d,  April 
4,  1820,  at  Corinth,  Sophia  Lund,  dau.  of  Noah  and  Betsey 
(Hale)  Lund.    She  was  b.  Aug.  15,  1790  ;  d.  Nov.,  1872. 

Children  of  Christopher  and   Sally    (Jones)    Avery,   b.   at 
Corinth : 

1356.  i.       Oliver',  b.  Sept.  17,  1795;   m.  Sally  G.  Lund;   no  children. 

1357.  ii.      Alvah',  b.  June  30,  1798. 

1358.  iii.     Laura',  b.  Aug.  24,  1800. 


1347. 

1. 

1348. 

ii. 

1349. 

iii. 

iv. 

1350. 

v. 

1351. 

vi. 

1352. 

vii. 

1353. 

viii 

1354. 

ix. 

1355. 

X. 

340  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

1359.  iv.  Nathaniel',  b.  Jan.  13,  1803. 

3  360.  V.  Christopher',  b.  April  29,  1805. 

vi.  Sally',  b.  June  24,  1807;   d.  July  2,  1824;   unm. 

1361.  vii.  Elias  Jones',  b.  July  20,  1809. 

1362.  viii.  Smith  Putnam',  b.  Nov.  27,  1811. 

1363.  ix.  Simeon',  b.  May  15,  1814. 

1364.  X.  Philander',  b.  Jan.  20,  1817. 

1365.  xi.  Harriet',  b.  Jan.  10,  1819. 

Children  of  Christopher  and  Sophia   (Lund)   Avery,  b.  at 

Corinth : 

i.  Caroline',  b.  Jan.  10,  1821;    d.  April  1,  1827. 

1366.  ii.  Noah  Lund',  b.  Nov.  7,  1822. 

1367.  iii.  Newell  T.',  b.  Sept.  14,  1824. 

1368.  iv.  Leonard',  b.  May  9,  1826. 
V.  Osgood',  b.  Dec,  1827;    died  young.  t 

1369.  vi.  Melvi^ell  Malcolm',  b.  Aug.  1,  1829. 

1370.  vii.  Caroline  R.',  b.  July  30,  1832. 
viii.  Joel',  b.  1834;    died  young. 

548.  Moses*^  Avery  (Amos-',  Nathaniel*,  John'%  James-y. 
Christopher^)  ;  m.  Betsey  Munsell,  dau.  of  John  and  Lydia  Mun- 
sell,  of  Lyme.  In  settling  the  estate  of  John  Munsell,  late  of 
Lyme,  Feb.  25,  1821,  among  the  heirs  were  wife,  Lydia,  and 
daughter,  Betsey,  wife  of  Moses  Avery  (Neiv  London  Wills) .  He. 
was  a  shoemaker ;  moved  to  New  York  state. 

Children  of  Moses  and  Betsey  (Munsell)  Avery: 


1371. 

i. 

Moses'. 

1372. 

ii. 

John',  b.  March  4,  1798,  at  Lyme. 

1373. 

iii. 

Betsey'. 

1374. 

iv. 

Jerusha'. 

1375. 

V. 

Andrew'. 

1376. 

vi. 

Orin'. 

1377.    vii.    Horace'. 

550.  Amos®  Avery  (Amos^,  Nathaniel^,  John-,  James-y 
Christopher')  was  b.  Feb.  18,  1781,  at  Lyme;  m.  Feb.  16,  1806, 
at  Lempster,  N.  H.,  Rebecca  Lewis.  She  was  b.  Feb.  7,  1787,  at 
Lempster.  He  d.  July  6,  1860,  at  Waupun,  Wis. ;  she  d.  Sept. 
16,  1865,  at  same  place. 

Children  of  Amos  and  Rebecca  (Lewis)  Avery: 

i.       Dudley',  b.  May  28,  1807 ;    d.  Jan.,  1809,  at  Lempster. 
1387.     ii.      Guerdon',  b.  May  28,  1809,  at  Lempster;    married;    no  chil- 
dren;   d.  Jan.  24,  1887,  at  Waupun,  Wis. 


1388. 

iii. 

1389. 

iv. 

V. 

1390. 

vi. 

vii 

1391. 

Vll 

ix. 

1392. 

X. 

1393. 

xi. 

1394. 

xii 

The  Sixth  Generation  341 

John',  b.  Oct.  22,  1811,  at  Lyme. 

Julian',  b.  Feb.  27,  1814,  at  Goshen,  N.  H. 

Mary",  b.  Feb.  25,  1816;    d.  June  29,  1832,  at  Bennington, 
N.  Y. ;    unm. 

Abigail',  b.  July  23,  1818,  at  Bloomfield,  N.  Y. 

Phebe',  b.  Jan.  12,  1720;    d.  Nov.  8,  1720,  at  Lester,  N.  Y. 
viii.  Oliver',  b.  March  30,  1822 ;    d.  Jan.,  1826,  at  Lester. 

Rebecca',  b.  March  17,  1824,  at  Lester. 

Olive',  b.  Feb.  8,  1827,  at  Lester. 

Amos',  b.  July  8,  1829,  at  Bennington;   married;   no  children, 
xii.    Elvered',  b.  April  10,  1831,  at  Bennington. 

551.  Amy"  Avery  (Amos^  Nathaniel*,  John''.  Jaw.es-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  March  3,  1766,  at  Bozrahville;  m.  March  25, 
1784,  at  Bozrahville,  Nathan  Woodworth,  s.  of  Elijah  Wood- 
worth.  He  was  b.  Aug.  29,  1759,  at  Goshen.  She  m.  2d,  the 
Rev,  William  Fiske,  We  have  doubts  as  to  whether  this  Amy 
Avery  is  the  daughter  of  Amos  and  Phebe  Avery ;  it  is  only  sug- 
gested in  Sweet's  The  Avenjs  of  Groton.  They  moved  to 
Wells,  Vt. 

Children  of  Nathan  and  Amy  (Avery)  Woodworth: 

i.  Walter',  b.  March  15,  1785;   m.  Mary  Sage;   d.  Sept.  9,  1822. 

ii.  Elijah',  d.  1835. 

iii.  Nathan',  a  captain  in  the  war  of  1812. 

iv.  Deborah';    m.  Miles  Bunnell. 

v.  Philo';    m.  Lucy  Gaston  Hall. 

vi.  Eliza'. 

560.  Samuel"  Avery  {Richardson'^,  William*,  John"^,  James-, 
Christopher*)  was  b.  Feb.  11,  1741,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Dec.  11, 
1762,  at  Preston,  Mary  Barnes,  dau.  of  Matthew  and  Sarah 
Barnes,  of  Groton.  David  Avery  (No.  511)  says  that  Samuel 
Avery  m.  2d,  Mary  Avery  (No.  268),  dau.  of  John  and  Mary 
(Dennis)  Avery.  She  was  b.  June  21,  1753,  and  was  the  widow 
of  Jonas  Avery  (No.  326).  Samuel"  Avery  d.  Nov.  26,  1812,  at 
Preston.  Mary,  widow  of  Samuel  Avery,  d.  Sept.  9,  1814,  aged 
60  years.  In  her  will,  Feb.  7,  1814,  she  mentioned  her  grand- 
children, Zipporah  Herrick,  William  Avery,  and  Mary  Avery, 
who  were  also  the  grandchildren  of  Jonas  Avery  (No.  327) .  She 
also  mentioned  her  son,  David,  her  daughter-in-law,  Hannah 
Avery,  and  their  daughter,  Polly.  This  David'  Avery  was  the  son 
of  Samuel  Avery  and  her  step-son  (Norivich  Wills,  12:250). 


342  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


Children  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Barnes)  Avery,  b.  at  Pres- 
ton : 

1400.  i.       Prudence',  b.  Oct.  23,  1763. 

1401.  ii.      Davids  b.  Nov.  5,  1764. 

The  record  of  David  Avery   (No.  511)   adds  the  following 
names : 

1402.  iii.     Mary'. 

1403.  iv.     Eunice". 

561.  Richardson'^  Avery  {Richardson^,  William*,  John^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  Oct.  6,  1742,  at  Stonington;  m. 
Jan.  1,  1766,  at  Hopkinton,  R.  I.,  Eunice  Maxson,  dau.  of  John 
and  Sarah  (Burdick)  Maxson.  She  was  b.  Feb.  23,  1747,  at 
Hopkinton.  His  name  appears  on  the  rate  bills  of  Wilkesbarre, 
Penn.,  1776,  1777.  He,  with  his  father,  was  at  the  Wyoming 
massacre,  and  took  the  long  march  back  to  Connecticut.  His 
name  appears  on  a  petition  to  the  Connecticut  general  court, 
asking  for  aid  to  build  a  fort  at  Wilkesbarre,  April  25,  1780 
(Western  Lands,  1 :118) .    He  was  living  at  Preston,  1790. 

Children  of  Richardson  and  Eunice  (Maxson)  Avery: 


1404. 

i. 

Joseph'. 

ii. 

Joel',  died  young. 

1405. 

iii. 

Sally'. 

1406. 

iv. 

Eunice'. 

V. 

William',  died  young. 

1407. 

vi. 

Richardson',  b.  Dec.  25,  1778. 

1408. 

vii. 

Frederick',  b.  March  18,  1781. 

1409. 

viii 

Lois'. 

1410. 

ix. 

Lydia',  died  young. 

X. 

Amos',  probably  died  Aug.  9,  1790,  at  Preston,  aged  2  yrs 

562.  Anna''  Avery  (Richardson^,  William"^,  John^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  Dec.  18,  1744,  at  Stonington;  m.  March  22, 
1764,  at  Norwich,  Obadiah  Gore,  s.  of  Obadiah  and  Hannah 
(Park)  Gore.  He  was  b.  April  7,  1744,  at  NorM^ch.  He  moved 
to  the  Wyoming  valley,  then  called  Westmoreland,  about  1769. 
He  was  conspicuous  in  the  conflict  between  Connecticut  and 
Pennsylvania.  He  represented  Westmoreland  in  the  legislature 
at  Hartford ;  raised  a  company,  Aug.,  1776 ;  was  commissioned 
lieutenant  by  congress,  Jan.  1,  1777;  served  until  Jan.,  1781; 
was  at  the  Wyoming  massacre.     Three  of  his  brothers,  Ralph, 


The  Sixth   Generation  343 

Silas,  and  George  Gore,  and  two  of  his  brothers-in-law,  John 
Murphey,  and  Timothy  Pierce,  were  slain  in  the  massacre.  As 
a  member  of  Gen.  Sullivan's  staff,  he  accompanied  Sullivan's 
expedition  against  the  Indians  of  central  New  York  in  1779,  and 
kept  a  journal  of  events.  In  1783,  he  moved  to  the  Sheshequin 
valley  on  the  Susquehanna  river.  He  served  as  associate  judge 
for  Luzerne  County  for  many  years.  He  d.  March  22,  1821 ;  she 
d.  April  24,  1829,  both  at  Sheshequin.  A  stately  monument 
erected  by  descendants  marks  their  resting  place. 
Children  of  Obadiah  and  Anna  (Avery)  Gore: 

i.  Avery',  b.  Jan.  10,  1765;    m.  his  cousin,  Lucy  Gore. 

11.  Wealthy',  b.  Aug.  10,  1767;    m.  Col.  John  Spaulding. 

lil.  Hannah',  b.  Sept.  8,  1769;    m.  Elisha  Durkee. 

iv.  Anna',  b.  Feb.  8,  1772;    m.  John  Shepard;    d.  Sept.  7,  1805. 

V.  Sally',  b.  Sept.  22,  1774;    m.  David  or  Isaac  Cash. 

563.  Sarah"  Avery  {Richardson^,  Williamr^,  John^,  James-, 
Christopher'')  was  b.  Aug.  19,  1747,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Jabez 
Fish,  s.  of  Capt.  Thomas  and  Jemima  (Morgan)  Fish  {David 
Avery  ms.) .  He  was  b.  July  10,  1747,  at  Groton.  An  old  tomb- 
stone excavated  at  Wilkesbarre  reads  "In  memory  of  Sarah,  wife 
of  Jabez  Fish,  who  died  in  December,  1796,  in  her  49th  year." 
He  d.  April  16,  1814,  at  Wilkesbarre,  Penn. 

Children  of  Jabez  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Fish: 

1.      Thomas'. 

ii.      Jemima';    m.  Zebulon  Butler,  s.  of  Col.  Zebulon  Butler, 
iii.     Anna';    m.  Josiah  Wright. 

iv.     Sarah',  b.  April  10,  1778,  at  Wilkesbarre;   m.  Robert  Lewis; 
d.  March  22,  1760,  at  Wilkesbarre. 

565.  Catharine''  Avery  {Richardson'',  WiUiam\  John^, 
James  .  Christopher')  was  b.  Feb.  12,  1754,  at  Stonington;  m. 
David  Brown,  s.  of  Comfort  and  Temperance  Brown  of  Groton 
(David  Avery  ms.). 

566.  Elizabeth'^  Avery  {Richardson'',  William*,  John^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  July  31,  1756,  at  Stonington;  m.  Asa  Gore, 
s.  of  Obadiah  and  Hannah  (Park)  Gore  {David  Avery  ms.) .  He 
was  b.  Feb.  28,  1750,  at  Norwich.  He  was  killed  in  the  Wyoming 
massacre.     She  was  alive  in  1784. 


344  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Child  of  Asa  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Gore: 

i.  Asa  Avery',  b.  July  2,  1778;  m.  Ruth  Yarrington;  was 
brought  up  by  Amos  Avery  (No.  322),  who  left  him  most 
of  his  estate;    d.  Dec.  2,  1859. 

569.  Mary*^  Avery  (William^  William\  Joh'nr,  James-, 
Christ opher^)  was  b.  May  25,  1753,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Nov.  14, 
1771,  at  Stonington,  Jonathan  Bowers.  She  m.  2d,  Feb.  16,  1783, 
at  Stonington,  Moses  Fish,  s.  of  Capt.  Thomas  and  Jemima 
(Morgan)  Fish.  He  was  b.  Nov.  9,  1759,  at  Stonington.  He  was 
a  farmer.  She  d.  Sept.  15,  1836;  he  d.  Oct.  6,  1836,  both  at 
Rome,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Moses  and  Mary  (Avery)  Fish: 

i.       Jemima',    b.    Dec.    22,    1783,    at    Barnardstown,    Mass.;     m. 

Thomas  Henton;    d.  Feb.  14,  1832,  at  Quincy,  111. 
ii.      Moses',    b.   July    11,    1785;     m.    Deborah    Gates;     d.    at    St. 

Joseph,   Mo. 
iii.     Jesse',  b.  Aug.  11,  1786,  at  Groton;    m.  Mercy  Taft;    d.  July 

9,  1861,  at  Williamstown,  N.  Y. 
iv.     William  Avery',  b.  Oct.  20,  1788;   m.  Lydia  T.  Allen. 
V.      Joseph',  b.   Oct.  20,  1789;    m.  Lucinda   Smith;    d.  Sept.  18, 

1866,  at  Spring-field,  111. 
vi.     Clarissa',   b.  July   17,   1791;    m.   Daniel  Walsworth;    d.   at 

Otsego,  Wis. 
vii.    Mary',  b.  May  28,  1796;    m.  Daniel  Morris;    d.  Feb.  1,  1845, 

at  Hyde  Park,  N.  Y. 
viii.  Hannah',   b.   Oct.    18,    1799,   at   Fort   Stanwix,   N.    Y.;     m. 

Richard  Peggs;    2d,  William  Hawley;    d.  May  23,  1881, 

at  Flint,  Mich. 

570.  Abigail"  Avery  {William^,  William^,  Johtr,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Aug.  17,  1755,  at  Stonington;  m.  April  26, 
1781,  at  Guilford,  Vt.,  Joseph  Bullock,  s.  of  Joseph  Bullock.  He 
was  b.  April  8,  1755,  at  Guilford.  He  d.  July  20,  1828,  at  Ellis- 
burgh,  N.  Y.;  she  d.  March  17,  1838,  at  Rome,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Abigail   (Avery)  Bullock: 

i.  Richard',  b.  Feb.  8,  1782,  at  Guilford;  d.  Sept.  19,  1838,  at 
Akron,  Ohio. 

ii.      Abigail',  b.  Oct.  14,  1784,  at  Guilford;   d.  Dec.  23,  1785. 

iii.  Joseph',  b.  Sept.  21,  1786,  at  Guilford;  m.  Nancy  Ferguson; 
d.  May  14,  1861,  at  Ellisburgh. 

iv.  William  Avery',  b.  Sept.  27,  1792,  at  Guilford;  was  gradu- 
ated at  Williams  College;  m.  Lois  Sanford;  d.  May 
24,  1867,  at  Vernon,  Ind. 


The  Sixth   Generation  345 

V.      Mahala',  b.  April  3,  1795;   m.  Noah  M.  Green;   d.  at  Marion, 

Ohio. 
vi.     Lactania',  b.  May  26,  1797;    m.  Cooley  Newcomb. 
vii.    Ann',  b.  Oct.  26,  1799;   m.  Seth  B.  Roberts;    d.  April,  1874. 

573.  John''  Avery  (John^,  William\  John-'-,  James-,  Christo- 
pher^)  was  b.  July  2,  1762,  at  Stonington ;  m.  Elizabeth  Tracy, 
dan.  of  Jabez  and  Zipporah  (Hibbard)  Tracy.  She  was  b.  June 
8,  1768,  at  Norwich.  She  d.  June  16,  1799,  at  Sturbridge,  Mass. 
He  m.  2d,  Sept.  29,  1803,  at  Simsbury,  Roxalena  Humphrey,  dau. 
of  Capt.  William  Humphrey.  She  was  b.  Oct.  4,  1777,  at  Sims- 
bury.  It  is  said  that  he  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 
He  was  a  goldsmith ;  moved  to  Bridgewater,  N.  Y.,  about  1796. 
He  d.,  1834,  at  Winfield,  N.  Y. ;  she  d.  Aug.  23,  1855,  at  Cassville, 
N.  Y. 

Children  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Tracy)  Avery: 
Zipporah',  b.  Nov.  2,  1787,  at  Plainfield. 
John  Franklin',  b.  Feb.  26,  1790,  at  Plainfield. 
Anna',  b.  May  7,  1792,  at  Plainfield. 
Gilbert  M.',  b.  March  10,  1794,  at  Plainfield. 
Jabez  Tracy',  b.  Aug.  11,  1797,  at  Bridgewater,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  John  and  Roxalena   (Humphrey)   Avery,  b.  at 
■,  N.  Y. : 

Robert  Bruce',  b.  Sept.  15,  1804;    d.  Dec.  23,  1810. 
Silas  Dort',  b.  Dec.  4,  1805. 
Charles',  b.  May  8,  1807. 
Otis',  b.  Aug.  19,  1808. 
Elizabeth  Tracy',  b.  Jan.  5,  1810. 
James  Bruce',  b.  March  30,  1812. 
Thomas  Henry',  b.  Oct.  23,  1814. 
Eliza  Ann  Frances',  b.  Nov.  4,  1815.  ^ 

Zelotus  William',  b.  April  2,  1819. 
Lucius',  b.  Dec.  25,  1821. 

574.  Robert'^  Avery  {John:',  William*,  John^,  James-,  Chris- 
tovher^)  was  b.  March  5,  1765,  at  Stonington;  m.,  at  Colerain, 
Mass.,  Lydia  White,  dau.  of  Silas  and  Margaret  (Cauthern) 
White.  She  was  b.  Jan.  27,  1763.  He  d.  Oct.  18,  1810;  she  d. 
March  24,  1849. 

Children  of  Robert  and  Lydia  (White)  Avery: 

1433.  i.       Daniel  Clark',  b.  Oct.  26,  1791. 

1434.  ii.      John  W.',  b.  April  15,  1793. 


1419. 

1, 

1420. 

ii. 

1421. 

iii. 

1422. 

iv. 

1423. 

Ch 

V. 

ildre 

idge\ 

vatei 

1424. 

ii. 

1425. 

iii. 

1426. 

iv. 

1427. 

V. 

1428. 

vi. 

1429. 

vii. 

1430. 

viii 

1431. 

ix. 

1432. 

X. 

346  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

1435.  iii.  Orin  Smith',  b.  Sept.  11,  1794. 

1436.  iv.  Robert  B.',  b.  Feb.  20,  1796,  at  Shelburne,  Mass. 
V.  Lydia',  b.  Nov.  13,  1797;    d.  Sept.  3,  1862;    unm. 

1437.  vi.  Margaret',  b.  March  23,  1799. 

1438.  vii.  Amelia',  b.  July  16,  1802,  at  Morrisville,  N.  Y. 
viii.  Nancy',  b.  July  15,  1804;    d.  April  17,  1805. 

1439.  ix.  Arvilla',  b.  Nov.  24,  1808. 

575.  Danier'  Avery  (John%  William\  John^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  April  23,  1767,  at  Stonington;  m.  June 
17,  1795,  at  Bridgewater,  N.  Y.,  Rosanna  Rhodes,  dau.  of  John 
and  Rosanna  (Budlong)  Rhodes.  She  was  b.  March  17,  1776,  at 
Warwick,  R.  I.  He  was  a  physician.  He  d.  Nov.  2,  1848  ;  she  d. 
July  31,  1863,  both  at  Sweden,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Rosanna  (Rhodes)  Avery,  b.  at 
Bridgewater,  N.  Y.  (except  the  oldest  and  youngest)  : 

1440.  i.       Daniel  J.',  b.  Dec.  23,  1796,  at  Sangerfield,  N.  Y. 

1441.  ii.      Gaylord',  b.  Feb.  3,  1799;    d.  March  11,  1868,  at  Pompeii,. 

Mich.;    probably  unm. 

1442.  iii.     Rosanna',  b.  Dec.  3,  1800. 

1443.  iv.     Roxalena',  b.  March  24,  1803;    d.  Dec,  1875,  at  West  Gaines, 

N.  Y.;    probably  unm. 
V.      Eliza',  b.  March  30,  1805;   d.  March  15,  1813. 

1444.  vi.     Lora',    b.    March    13,    1807;     d.    June    23,    1870,    at    Albion; 

probably  unm. 

1445.  vii.    Lucy  Maria',  b.  Feb.  25,  1809;    d.  June  23,  1870,  at  West 

Gaines;    probably  unm. 

1446.  viii.  Samuel  Miner',  b.  Aug.  3,  1812;    d.  Nov.  8,  1845,  probably 

unm. 

1447.  ix.     John  Rhodes',  b.  Aug.  8,  1817,  at  Sweden,  N.  Y. 

576.  Betsey*'  Avery  {Johti:',  William*,  John^,  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  Oct.  31,  1769,  at  Stonington ;  m. Blodget,. 

They  lived  at  Bath,  N.  Y.     They  are  said  to  have  had  a  son, 
Orestes. 

577.  Borodel"  Avery  {Amos^%  WiUiam\  John\  James-, 
Christopher'')  was  bap.  Aug.  1,  1762,  First  Church  of  Stoning- 
ton; m.  Oct.  3,  1784,  at  Stonington,  Thomas  Franklin.  He  d.. 
before  1806. 

Child  of  Thomas  and  Borodel  (Avery)  Franklin: 

i.       Amos  Avery',  bap.  Jan.  22,  1806,  First  Church  of  Stonington,. 


1461. 

11. 

1462. 

iii. 

1463. 

iv. 

1464. 

V. 

vi. 

The  Sixth   Generation  347 

582.  James*'  Avery  {Natha^iieV',  William*,  John^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  July  6,  1784,  at  Leyden,  Mass.;  m.  June 
22,  1808,  at  Leyden,  Mercy  Baker,  dau.  of  Junia  Baker.  She 
was  b.  March  5,  1787.  They  moved  to  Spafford,  N.  Y,,  about 
1810.    He  d.  Feb.  26,  1863;  she  d.  Sept.  15,  1869. 

Children  of  James  and  Mercy  (Baker)  Avery,  b.  at  Spaf- 
ford, N.  Y.  (except  the  oldest)  : 

1460.     i.      James  Christopher',  b.  April  1,  1809,  at  Leyden,  Mass. 
Daniel  Dake',  b.  Sept.  17,  1811. 
Allen  Arvin',  b.  Oct.  12,  1812. 
Lauren',  b.  June  12,  1816. 
Warren',  b.  June  12,  1816. 

William  Nathaniel',  b.  Aug.  26,  1726;   d.  April  11,  1837,  at 
Spafford. 

583.  Desire "^  Avery  (Nathaniel^,  William*,  Johyr,  James'-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  March  5,  1788,  at  Leyden,  Mass.;  m. 
Ephraim  Gates,  of  Leyden,  Mass.  He  was  a  farmer.  She  d.  Jan., 
1831,  at  Leyden. 

Children  of  Ephraim  and  Desire  (Avery)  Gates,  b.  at  Ley- 
den, Mass. : 

i.         ANNA^ 

ii.  Avery'. 

iii.  Peter'. 

iv.  John'. 

V.  Joseph',  died  unmarried. 

584.  Daniel*^  Avery  (Nathaniel^  William*,  Johtv"-,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Nov.  16,  1790,  at  Leyden,  Mass.;  m.  July 
18,  1830,  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  Abigail  Simonton.     She  was  b. 

Nov.  6,  1802,  at  Thomaston,  Me.  He  was  a  Methodist  minister. 
He  d.  Oct.  7,  1852,  at  Wilmington,  Vt. ;  she  d.  June  6,  1867,  at 
Northampton,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Daniel  and  Abigail  (Simonton)  Avery: 

1465.  i.       William  Nathaniel',  b.  July  24,  1831,  at  Columbia,  N.  Y. 
ii.      Abigail  Maria',  b.  May  10,  1834,  at  Columbia;  d.  Sept.,  1862, 

at  Freeport,  111.;    unm. 
iii.     Leroy    Scott',   b.    April    12,    1837,   at   Wilmington,   Vt.;     d. 
March  12,  1839. 

1466.  iv.     Francis  Moffit',  b.  June  26,  1839,  at  Wilmington. 

V.      Harriet  Newell',  b.  Dec.  28,  1841,  at  Wilmington;    d.  Nov. 
18,  1864,  at  Freeport,  111.;   unm. 


348  The  Groton  Avery  Clr.n 

585.  Sarah''   Avery     {NathanieV',   William\  Johri\  Ja7nes-, 

Christopher^)  was  b.  Maj^  6,  1794,  at  Leyden,  Mass.;  m.  June  14, 

1812,  at  Leyden,    Josiah  Harrington,  s.  of  William  and  Sarah 

(Sherman)  Harrington.    He  d.  Nov.  10,  1869,  at  Smyrna,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Josiah  and  Sarah  (Avery)  Harrington: 
i.       Sidney'. 

ii.      Sarah",  m.  Ozias  Miner, 
iii.     Desire'. 
iv.     Mariah'. 

586.  Elias  Packer''  Avery  {Abraham'^,  William\  John'', 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Aug.  16,  1781,  at  Guilford,  Vt. ;  m. 
March  13,  1806,  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  Sally  Covill,  dau.  of 
David  and  Sarah  Covill.  She  w^as  b.  Oct.  20,  1783.  He  was  a 
farmer;  lived  at  Avery,  Jo  Daviess  County,  111.  He  d.  Dec.  16, 
1846 ;  she  d.  May  7,  1863,  both  at  Avery. 

Children  of  Elias  Packer  and  Sally  (Covill)  Avery: 

William',  b.  Aug.  15,  1807,  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y. 

David',  b.  July  30,  1809,  in  Chenango  County. 

Horace',  b.  June  7,  1811,  in  Chenango  County;    d.  May  11, 

1821,  at  Peoria,  111. 
Azel',  b.  May  17,  1813,  in  Chenango  County. 
Sally   Maria',  b.   March   24,   1815;     d.   March   20,   1819,   at 

Peoria,  111. 
Julia  Ann',  b.  Aug.  24,  1818,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Marion',  b.  Dec.  14,  1821;    d.  Oct.  2,  1822. 

1473.  viii.  Elias  Covill',  b.  Sept.  20,  1823,  in  Tazev^rell  County,  111. 
ix.     Alfred',  b.  April  22,  1826;    d.  Nov.  15,  1827. 

587.  Hubbard  Burrows''  Avery  {Abraham'',  William',  John'', 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Dec.  29,  1784,  at  Colerain,  Mass.; 
m.  July  21,  1816,  at  Preston,  N.  Y.,  Mary  Stanton  Mason,  dau. 
of  James  and  Abigail  (Beaumont)  Mason.  She  was  b.  May  7, 
1788,  at  Lebanon.  He  was  a  farmer  at  Preston,  N.  Y.  He 
d.  March  8,  1848,  at  Preston;  she  d.  Jan.  29,  1868,  at  Nor- 
wich, N.  Y. 

Children  of  Hubbard  Burrow^s  and  Mary  Stanton  (Mason) 

Avery,  b.  at  Preston,  N.  Y. : 

1474.  i.   Cordelia',  b.  Oct.  7,  1817. 

1475.  ii.   Maria  Lucilla',  b.  Aug.  15,  1820. 

1476.  iii.  Lafayette',  b.  May  9,  1822. 

iv.  Maria  Theresa',  b.  Dec.  29,  1825;  d.  Oct.  1,  1846,  at  Pres- 
ton ;  unm. 

1477.  V.   Helen  Mar',  b.  June  16,  1828. 


1469. 

1. 

1470. 

ii. 

iii. 

1471. 

iv. 

V. 

1472. 

vi. 

vii 

The  Sixth  Generation 


349 


588.     Amos   Walker^'    Avery     {Abraham'',    William*,   John^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  May  24,  1787,  at  Colerain,  Mass.; 
m.  July  5,  1808,  at  Preston,  N.  Y.,  Nancy  McCutcheon,   dau.  of 
Hugh  and  Jane  (Wallace)   McCutcheon,  of  Stowe,  Vt.     She  was 
b.  May  6,  1787,  at  Stowe.     He  was  a  farmer.     He  served  in 
the  war  of  1812  and,  with  his  father-in-law,  was  at  the  burning 
of  Buffalo.     At  the  end  of  his  second  term  of  service,  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  at  Avon,  now  Rush,  N.  Y.     Before  his  log  cabin 
was  finished,  he  was  again  called  "out  on  the  lines,"  and  his  wife 
and  little  ones  were  left  alone  to  pass  a  dangerous  winter.    The 
Indians  prowled  around  the  cabin,  but  Mrs.  Avery  was  skilled 
in  the  use  of  a  gun  and 
stood  ready  to  defend 
her  children.    In  1833, 
he,   with   most   of  his 
family,  moved  to  Mich- 
igan.    They  went   by 
canal  from  Rochester 
to   Buffalo,   thence  by 
steamer,  "Uncle  Sam," 
to  Detroit.    Here  they 
took       the       steamer, 
"Brady,"  for  Monroe, 
and,    on    August    16, 
went  to  their  farm  on 
"Stony  Ridge"  in  the 
townships  of  Erie  and 
LaSalle,  Monroe  Coun- 
ty, a  farm  that  he  had 
noted  when  a   soldier 
with  General  Hull.    It 
was  then  a  dense  wil- 
derness.   Here,  he  and 
his    wife    lived    quiet, 
useful  lives,  respected 
by  the  entire  community.    His  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond  and 
neither  was  ever  discounted.    He  d.  June  1,  1863,  at  LaSalle.    The 
local  newspaper  account  of  his  death  said  that  he  had  "always 
been  highly  esteemed  for  his  honesty  of  character  and  kindness- 


AMOS  WALKER  AVERY 


350 


The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


of  heart — for  his  upright  and  benevolent  deahngs  with  his  fel- 
low men."    His  wife  d.  Dec.  11,  1869,  at  LaSalle. 


HOME  OF   AMOS  WALKER   AVERY 


1478. 

1. 

1479. 

ii. 

1480. 

iii. 

1481. 

iv. 

1482. 

V. 

1483. 

vi. 

1484. 

vii 

Children  of  Amos  Walker  and  Nancy  (McCutcheon)  Avery: 
Casper  Hugh',  b.  July  25,  1809,  at  Preston,  N.  Y. 
Elizabeth  Jane',  b.  May  5,  1811,  at  Preston. 
Hubbard  Burrows',  b.  Jan.  21,  1815,  at  Rush,  N.  Y. 
Eveline  Nancy',  b.  Feb.  14,  1817,  at  Rush. 
Mercy  Miranda',  b.  June  13,  1819,  at  Rush. 
Amos  John',  b.  Nov.  22,  1822,  at  Rush. 
Minerva  Pratt',  b.  Feb.  8,  1826,  at  Rush. 

590.  Esther*'  Avery  {Ahraham^,  William^  John^,  James'-, 
Christopher^)  ;  m.  Mason  Johnson. 

596.  Elisha''  Avery  {Elisha;',  Elisha*,  John^,  James-,  Chiis- 
topher'')  was  b.  Jan.  7,  1743,  at  Stonington;  bap.  Aug.  7,  1743, 
First  Church  of  Stonington;  m.  Sarah  Gallup,  dau.  of  Capt. 
Joseph  and  Mary  (Gardner)  Gallup  {David  Avery  ms.) .  She 
was  b.  Nov.  10,  1752,  at  Groton.  He  d.  Oct.,  1776,  at  White 
Plains,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Sarah  (Gallup)  Avery  {David  Avery 

ms.)  : 

1494.  i.  Mary'. 

1495.  ii.  Joseph'. 

1496.  iii.  Elisha'. 


i 


The  Sixth  Generation  351 

597.  Joseph''  Avery  (Elisha^,  Elisha\  John%  James'-,  Chris- 
topher') was  b.  April  13,  1747,  at  Stonington;  m.  May  31,  1772, 
at  Amenia,  N.  Y.,  Deborah  King,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Rebecca 
(Mead)  King,  of  Nine  Partners,  N.  Y.  She  was  b.  Dec.  9,  1750, 
at  Nine  Partners.  He  was  a  minister ;  preached  at  Sag  Harbor, 
N.  Y.,  and  later  at  Tyringham,  Mass. ;  travelled  through  New 
York  under  the  auspices  of  the  Berkshire  Missionary  Society; 
founded  many  churches,  one  of  w^hich,  at  Bloomfield,  N.  Y.,  re- 
cently celebrated  its  hudredth  anniversary ;  many  of  his  diaries 
are  extant.  An  account  of  his  missionary  labors  in  New  York 
State  has  been  published  by  the  Historical  Society  at  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.  He  d.  March  3,  1814,  at  Tyringham;  she  d.  June  20,  1830, 
at  Bergen,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Joseph  and  Deborah  (King)  Avery: 

Samuel',  b.  March  30,  1773,  at  Sag  Harbor,  N.  Y. 
Elisha',  b.  July  25,  1775,  at  New  London;    d.  Dec.  17,  1795, 

at  Tyringham. 
Rebecca',  b.  April  14,  1779,  at  New  London. 
Betsey',  b.  May  10,  1782,  at  Alford,  Mass. 
Sally',  b.  Sept.  13,  1784,  at  Alford. 
Ansey',  b.  Oct.  16,  1788,  at  Alford;    d.  March  29,  1850,  at 

Barre,  N.  Y. ;   unm. 
Joseph  Babcock',  b.  Sept.  14,  1791,  at  Tyringham. 
Polly',  b.  July  20,  1794,  at  Tyringham. 

598.  Rebecca^  Avery  {Elisha'',  Elisha*,  John^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  20,  1752,  at  Stonington;  m.  Feb.  26, 
1781,  Samuel  Douglass,  s.  of  Robert  and  Sarah  (Edgecombe) 
Douglass.  He  was  b.  Feb.  26,  1745,  at  New  London.  He  was  a 
captain  in  the  Indian  trade;  was  captured  by  the  British  in 
1814.  He  d.  April  20,  1821,  at  Waterford ;  she  d.  at  Newfield, 
N.  Y. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Rebecca   (Avery)    Douglass,  b.  at 
Waterford  : 

1.       Elisha  Avery',  b.  Feb.  7,  1782;    m.  Margaret  Dart;    d.  Aug. 

30,  1864,  at  Waterford. 
ii.      Robert',  b.  Dec.  19,   1785;    m.   Elizabeth  Daniels;    d.  April 

28,  1824. 
ill.     Rebecca',  b.  March  25,  1795;    m.  Daniel  C.  Brown;    d.  Aug. 

30,  1876,  at  Waterford. 
iv.     Abby',  b.  about  1798;    m.  Mr.  Bebee. 


1497. 

1. 

ii. 

1498. 

ill. 

1499. 

iv. 

1500. 

V. 

vi. 

1501. 

vii. 

1502. 

viii 

352  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


599.  Samuel'^  Avery  {Elisha%  Eliska\  John\  James-,  Chris- 
topher^) was  b.  March  20,  1755,  at  Stonington;  m.  April  26, 
1780,  at  Stonington,  Lydia  Calkins.  She  was  b.  March  15,  1759. 
He  d.  Jan.  19,  1819.  The  payment  of  a  pension  to  Lydia,  widow 
of  Samuel  Avery,  of  Lowville,  N.  Y.,  was  suspended  for  lack  of 
proof  of  Revolutionary  service,  Sept.  16,  1850.  She  d.  Nov.  7, 
1853. 

Children  of  Samuel  and  Lydia  (Calkins)  Avery: 

1503.  1.       LydiaS  b.  Feb.  12,  1781;   m.  Dec.  23,  1798,  Reuben  Gillette, 
ii.      Betsey',  b.  July  26,  1782;   d.  Nov.  4,  1782. 

1504.  iii.     John    Snell',   b.   Dec.    12,   1784;     m.   Dec,    1820,    Elizabeth 

Huick. 

1505.  Iv.  Mary',  b.  Oct.  22,  1786;  m.  Oct.  23,  1812,  D.  Borden;  d.  Aug. 

23,  1824. 

1506.  V.  Joseph',  b.  Oct.  19,  1788. 

vi.  REBECCA^  b.  Nov.  10,  1792;  d.  Feb.  21,  1796. 

1507.  vii.  Elisha',  b.  May  10,  1795. 

viii.  Samuel",  b.  Aug.  12,  1799;   d.  June  16,  1820;   unm. 

1508.  ix.     George',  b.  Aug.,  1803. 

600.  Thaddeus''  Avery  {Joseph^  Daniel',  John\  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Oct.  30,  1749,  in  Westchester  County,  N.  Y. ; 
m.  July  19,  1779,  in  Westchester  County,  Elizabeth  Underbill, 
dau.  of  Isaac  and  Abigail  (Lespenard)  Underbill.  She  was  b. 
Aug.  8,  1762.  He  was  a  farmer.  His  descendants  say  that  he 
was  a  captain  of  cavalry  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  was  the 
paymaster  for  Westchester  County.  His  home,  still  standing, 
has  its  fire-place  marked  with  a  tablet  that  states  that  "Capt. 
Thaddeus  Avery  was  branded  with  hot  irons  in  this  room,  and 
his  wife  threatened  with  death  by  the  Hessians,  when  they  re- 
fused to  divulge  the  hiding  place  of  money  for  the  Continental 
army."  In  his  will,  dated  Dec.  13,  1827,  and  recorded  Dec.  9, 
1836,  he  mentioned  wife,  Elizabeth ;  children,  Esther  Lawrence, 
Alpheus,  Mary  Davis,  Charles,  Israel,  Phebe,  William  Augustus, 
Abigail  Lespenard  Van  Zandt,  Caroline  Scidmore,  Harriet, 
Lucilla  Elmira  Brown,  EHza  Ann,  and  Emeline  Twitching  {Sur- 
rogate's Office,  Westchester  County,  Liber  F,  p.  517).  He  d. 
Nov.  16,  1836,  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Westchester  County;  she  d. 
May  22,  1841,  at  Mount  Pleasant. 


The   Sixth  Generation  353 

Children  of  Thaddeus  and  Elizabeth  (Underhill)  Avery,  b. 
at  Mount  Pleasant  (the  baptisms  of  seven  of  them  are  recorded 
in  the  books  of  the  Dutch  Church,  at  Sleepy  Hollow,  N.  Y.)  : 

1509.  i.       Esther';    m.  Laurence. 

1510.  ii.     Alpheus'. 

1511.  iii.     Mary';    m.  Davis. 

1512.  iv.     Charles',  b.  Dec.  10,  1784. 

1513.  V.     Israel'. 

vi.     Phebe  Hammond',  b.  Oct.  23,  1789;    d.  Aug.  24,  1851;    unm. 

1514.  vii.    William  Augustus',  b.  Oct.  17,  1792. 

1515.  viii.  Abigail  Lespenard',  b.  Dec.  15,  1793;  m.  William  Van  Zandt. 

1516.  ix.     Caroline',  b.  Jan.  22,  1796. 

1517.  X.      Harriet';    probably  m.,  April  28,  1829,  Daniel  Sutton. 

1518.  xi.     Lucilla  Elmira',  b.  Nov.  15,  1800. 

1519.  xii.    Eliza  Ann',  b.  March  18,  1803. 

1520.  xiii.  Emeline',  b.  July  28,  1806;    m.  Twiching. 

610.  George  Dolbeare"  Avery  {'William^,  Christopher*, 
Samuel"\  James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Aug.  19,  1763,  at  Groton; 
m.  April  1,  1790,  at  Groton,  Mary  Richards,  widow  of  Lodowic 
Champlin  and  dau.  of  Guy  and  Elizabeth  (Harris)  Richards. 
She  was  b.  Dec.  3,  1752.  She  d.  Jan.  28,  1799.  He  m.  2d,  June 
26,  1800,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  Mary  Hurlbut,  dau.  of  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth  (Christophers)  Hurlbut.  She  was  b.  March  2,  1772; 
d.  Nov.  18,  1803.  He  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  New 
London,  and  later  in  Ohio  and  Virginia.  He  was  appointed 
ensign  of  2d  co.,  3d  reg't.  May,  1794 ;  captain  of  same  company, 
May,  1795  (Ms.  State  Papers,  Hartford).  He  was  an  inventor 
of  great  skill.  He  d.  April  16,  1860,  at  Oxford,  N.  Y.,  at  the  home 
of  his  niece.  Miss  Elizabeth  Butler. 

Children  of  George  Dolbeare  and  Mary  (Richards)  Avery: 

i.       George',  b.  Jan.  23,  1791;    midshipman  in  the  navy;    d.  Nov. 

22,  1815,  at  New  York  City;    unm. 
ii.      William',  b.  Nov.  29,  1793;    d.  Nov.  30,  1794. 
iii.     William',  b.  Jan.  24,  1796;    d.  June  8,  1796. 

611.  Mary*^'  Avery  {William-',  Christopher*,  SamueP, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Nov.  23,  1764,  at  Groton;  m.  Sept. 
11,  1792,  at  New  London,  Simeon  Smith,  s.  of  Simeon  and  Eunice 
(Walworth)  Smith.  He  was  b.  Oct.  14,  1762.  He  was  a  major 
of  militia;   representative  to  the  general  court  and  high  sheriff 


354  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

of  New  London  County.    She  d.  March  17,  1799 ;   he  d.  Oct.  13, 
1848,  both  at  New  London. 

Children  of  Simeon  and  Mary   (Avery)   Smith,  b.  at  New 
London : 

i.       Mary  Avery',  b.  Oct.  16,  1794;    m.  Dr.  Rowland  Sears;    d. 

Aug.  26,  1878,  at  Whitesboro,  N.  Y. 
ii.      Edwin",  b.  June  25,  1796;    d.  Feb.  12.  1798. 
iii.     Eliza^  b.  Nov.  1,  1798;    d.  Feb.  2,  1799. 

612.  Hannah "^  Avery  (Willianv',  Christopher*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  July  20,  1772,  at  Groton;  m.  Dec. 
11,  1791,  at  Groton,  Dr.  Benjamin  Butler,  s,  of  Benjamin  and 
Diadama  (Hj^de)  Butler,  of  Norwich.  He  was  b.  Jan„  30,  1764, 
at  Norwich.  He  was  a  shipping  merchant  and  broker  in  New 
London,  New  York  City,  and  Oxford,  N.  Y.  She  d.  Aug.  5,  1829 ; 
he  d.  Jan.  1,  1839  ;  both  at  Oxford. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Hannah  (Avery)  Butler: 

i.  Julia  Hyde',  b.  June  13,  1794,  at  New  London;  m.  Sept.  24, 
1815,  at  Oxford,  N.  Y.,  Col.  James  Clapp,  s.  of  Thomas 
and  Hulda  (Bull)  Clapp.  He  was  b.  Dec.  20,  1785,  at 
Hartford,  Conn.  She  d.  Nov.  17,  1832,  at  Oxford;  he  d. 
Jan.  8,  1854,  at  Oxford. 

ii.  Mary  Dolbeare',  b.  Jan.  8,  1797,  at  New  London;  m.  Nov. 
28,  1817,  at  New  York,  Nicholas  Devereux,  s.  of  Thomas 
and  Catharine  (Corish)  Devereux,  of  Enniscorthy,  Ire- 
land. He  was  b.  June  7,  1791,  at  Enniscorthy.  He  was 
a  merchant  at  Utica,  N.  Y.  He  d.  Dec.  29,  1855,  at 
Utica.  She  d.  Dec.  12,  1881,  at  Utica.  Their  oldest  child, 
Hannah  Avery'',  m.  May  23,  1843,  at  Utica,  Francis  Ker- 
nan,  s.  of  William  and  Rosanna  (Stubbs)  Kernan.  He 
was  b.  Jan.  14,  1816,  at  Wayne,  N.  Y.  He  was  a  lawyer; 
member  of  the  assembly,  1860;  member  of  congress, 
1862;  member  of  constitutional  convention,  1867;  U.  S. 
senator,  1875  to  1881.     He  d.  Sept.  7,  1892,  at  Utica. 

iii.     Benjamin',  b.  March  4,  1800,  at  New  London;    d.  y. 

iv.     Elizabeth",  b.  July  24,  1804,  at  New  London;    d.  y. 

V.  Cornelia  Ann',  b.  March  1,  1806,  at  New  York  City;  m. 
June  2,  1830,  at  Utica,  William  Constable  Pierrepont,  s. 
of  Hezekiah  Beers  and  Ann  Maria  (Constable)  Pierre- 
pont. He  was  b.  Oct.  3,  1803,  at  Greenwich,  N.  Y.  They 
lived  at  Pierrepont  Manor,  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.  She 
d.  Dec.  10,  1871;  he  d.  Dec.  20,  1885,  both  at  Pierrepont 
Manor.     Their  dau.,  Emily  Julia!",  m.  Dr.  S.  C.  Wolcott 


The  Sixth  Generation  355 

and  lives  at  308  Genesee  St.,  Utica,  N.  Y.  Another  dau., 
Arina  Maria'',  m.  William  Mansfield  White;  d.  Sept.  22, 
1884,  at  Pierrepont  Manor.  Their  son,  William  Pierre- 
ponf  White,  m.  Mary  Antoinette  Wheeler.  Addi-ess:  75 
Genesee  St.,  Utica,  N.  Y. 
vi.  Elizabeth  Hannah',  b.  Feb.  19,  1813,  at  New  York  City; 
d.  March,  1883,  at  Oxford,  N.  Y.;    unm. 

613.  SamueF  Avery  {William-',  Christopher*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  May  12,  1774,  at  Groton;  m.  June 
26,  1796,  at  New  London,  Jerusha  Arnold,  dau.  of  Dr.  John 
Arnold.  They  had  two  children,  Samuel  and  Jerusha.  Samuel" 
Avery  moved  to  Kennebec,  Maine.  He  and  his  family  died  there 
before  1807. 

614.  Sarah"  Avery  {William'',  Christopher^,  Samuel',  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Jan.  16,  1776,  at  Groton;  m.  after  Nov.  29, 
1806,  Ezekiel  Bailey  (See  Will  of  Peter  Avery,  No.  263),  prob- 
ably s.  of  Ezekiel  Bailey  bap.  May  8,  1763,  at  First  Church  of 
Groton.    She  d.  March  29,  1808,  at  Groton. 

615.  Thomas"  Avery  {Humphrey'',  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,   Christopher^)    was   b.   July   15,    1746,   at   Brookhaven, 

Long  Island;    m.   Sarah  .     No  children.     His  widow  m. 

Nathaniel  Moger  before  1802. 

617.  Humphrey^  Avery  {Humphreif,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  July  12,  1750,  at  Brookhaven,  Long 
Island,  N.  Y. ;  m.,  about  1787,  at  Swan  River,  Long  Island,  Joanna 
;Smith,  dau.  of  Ananias  and  Desire  (Smith)  Smith.  She  was  b. 
Oct.  17,  1762,  at  Swan  River.  He  lived  at  Blue  Point,  Long 
Island,  on  a  farm  that  he  received  from  his  father.  He  d.  Oct. 
30,  1831 ;  she  d.  Feb.  1,  1844,  both  at  Blue  Point. 

Children  of  Humphrey  and  Joanna  (Smith)  Avery,  b.  at 
Blue  Point,  Long  Island: 

Lucinda',  b.  May  11,  1788. 

Joseph',  b  .May  8,  1790. 

Humphrey',  died  in  infancy. 

William',  b.  March  1,  1796. 

Susan',  b.  March,  1797. 

Elizabeth',  b.  Jan.  27,  1799. 

Joanna',  b.  May  18,  1802. 
viii.  Salem',  b.  1805. 


1529. 

i. 

1530. 

ii. 

iii. 

1531. 

iv. 

1532. 

V. 

1533. 

vi. 

1534. 

vii. 

1535. 

viii 

356  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

618.  Roger"  Avery  (Humphrey^,  Humphrey^  Samuel\ 
James^f  Christopher^)  was  b.  April  2,  1755,  at  Brookhaven,  Long 

Island;  m.  Elizabeth .    It  is  thought  that  her  name  may 

have  been  Whay,  and  that  she  was  of  Colchester,  Conn.  In 
Roger  Avery's  will,  made  Nov.  8,  1824,  her  name  does  not  appear 
and  she  was  probably  dead.  He  mentioned  sons,  Roger,  John, 
and  Samuel;  daus.,  Esther,  Sebilla,  and  Basheba,  all  unmarried 
and  living  at  home. 

Children  of  Roger  and  Elizabeth  Avery,  b.  at  Brookhaven: 

Mary'. 

Roger'. 

Elizabeth',  b.  April  27,  1787. 

Susanna',  b.  Nov.  23,  1789;    d.  Aug.  11,  1813,  at  Tunkhan- 
nock,  Penn.;   unm. 

John',  b.  Nov.  15,  1791. 

Basheba',  b.   Sept.   13,   1794;     d.   Aug.   11,   1864,  at   Brook- 
haven;  unm. 

Samuel',  b.  Aug.  18,  1796;   d.  July  23,  1844,  at  Brookhaven; 
unm. 
viii.  Anstrus',  b.  May  16,  1798. 

Esther'  ;  m.  Uriah  Smith,  the  widower  of  her  sister,  Anstrus. 
No  children. 
X.      Sebilla',  d.  July  29,  1870,  at  Sayville^  L.  I.;    unm. 

619.  Susanna*^  Avery  (Humphrey'',  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  July  22,  1758,  at  Brookhaven,  Long 
Island ;  m.  Daniel  Brown,  jr.,  and  moved  to  Hopetown,  N.  Y. 

620.      Cynthia*'    Avery     {William^,    Humphrey*,    SamueP^ 
James,  Christopher^)    was  b.   Dec.   12,   1750,   at  Preston;    m. 
Josiah  Arms,    s.  of  Major  John  and  Susanna   (Willard)   Arms. 
He  was  b.  March  17,  1750,  at  Deerfield,  Mass.     He  moved  to 
Vermont  and  was  a  "Hampshire  Man"  during  the  trouble  with 
New  York.    He  d.  at  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  May  23,  1803.    She  m.  2d, 
Jabez  Foster.     The  record  is  largely  from  family  tradition. 
Children  of  Josiah  and  Cynthia  (Avery)  Arms : 
i.       Susanna',  died  young, 
ii.      John',  b.  Aug.  11,  1776;    m.  Clarissa  Stebbins;    d.  July  23, 

1825. 
iii.    Josiah',  died  young. 

iv.  Hannah',  m.  Zenas  Metcalf ;  2d,  Daniel  Arms.  By  her  sec- 
ond husband,  she  had  Sophia,  b.  July  11,  1823,  who 
married  John  Stewart  Avery  (No.  1558). 


1536. 

1. 

1537. 

ii. 

1538. 

iii. 

iv. 

1539. 

V. 

vi. 

vii 

1540. 

vii 

1541. 

ix. 

The  Sixth  Generation  357 


V.      Willard',  b.  Dec.  2,  1780;    m.  Susanna  Arms;    d.  Sept.  25, 

1863,  at  Brattleboro,  Vt. 
vi.     Cynthia',  m.  Daniel  Goodnow. 
vii.    Daniel',  b.  Aug.  31,  1786;    m.  Eunice  Gregory;    d.  Sept.  8, 

1840. 
viii.  Sibyl',  b.  March  7,  1788;   m.  William  Goodnow;   2d,  Solomon 

Whitney, 
ix.     William',  b.  Oct.  15,  1790;    m.  Polly  Frost,  at  Dummerston, 

Vt.;   d.  1876. 
X.      Elisha',  d.  about  1813. 
xi.     Angeline',  m.  Rufus  Hosley. 
xii.    Lucinda',  m.  Daniel  Houghton. 

621.  Jerusha-  Avery  (William^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  ;  m.  May  21,  1772,  at  Preston,  John  Plum- 
mer,  jr.,  probably  the  son  of  John  and  Deborah  (Killam)  Plum- 
mer,  of  Preston.  They  moved  to  Brattleboro,  Vt.  He  d.  Dec.  14, 
1826,  aged  76  years;  she  d.  May  17,  1842,  both  at  Brattleboro. 
Children  of  John  and  Jerusha  (Avery)  Plummer: 
i.       Avery',  b.  April  14,  1773,  at  Preston. 

ii.     John',  m,  Eleanor  ;    2d,  Mary  ;    d.  Sept.  21, 

1845. 
iii.     William',  m.  Eunice  Stearns, 
iv.     Isaac,  m.  Susanna  Harris;    d.  Feb.  15,  1839,  at  Brattleboro. 

V.      Jerusha',  m. Salisbury. 

vi.     Relief',  m.  William  Rued. 

vii.    David',  m.  Mary  Howard;    2d,  Hannah  Carter;    d.  Sept.  27, 

1827. 
viii.  Elizabeth',  b.   March   3,   1791,   at  Brattleboro;    m.   Elijah 
Prouty;    d.  Jan.  24,  1851,  at  Brattleboro. 

623.  Elisha*'  Avery  {William^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James^, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  July  1,  1761,  at  Preston;  m.  about  1790, 
Mrs.  Sibyl  (Avery)  Stiles,  dau.  of  Samuel  and  Sibyl  (Noyes) 
Avery  (No.  634,  q.  v.),  and  widow  of  Ezra  Stiles.  He  was  a 
farmer  near  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  and  later  a  merchant  at  Boston, 
Mass.  His  son,  John  Humphrey  Avery,  is  authority  for  this 
record.  Sibyl  Avery  d.  June  8,  1830 ;  he  d.  June,  1835,  both  at 
Boston. 

Children  of  Elisha  and  Sibyl  (Avery)  Avery: 

1550.  i.  Samuel',  b.  about  1791,  near  Brattleboro,  Vt. 
ii.  Sibyl',  b.  about  1793,  near  Brattleboro;  d.  y. 
iii.  Elisha',  b.  about  1795,  near  Brattleboro;  d.  y. 


358  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

1551.  iv.     Cynthia',  b.  about  1796,  near  Brattleboro. 

1552.  V.      Mary',  b.  Aug.  6,  1798,  near  Brattleboro. 
vi.     Frances',  b.  about  1802. 

1553.  vii.    Sophia',  b.  April  17,  1804,  at  Boston,  Mass. 

1554.  viii.  John  Humphrey',  b.  July  22,  1809,  at  Boston. 

1555.  ix.     Amanda',  b.  1811,  at  Boston. 

624.  William^  Avery  {William'^  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Oct.  8,  1770,  at  Brattleboro,  Vt. ; 
m.  Nov.  18,  1798,  at  Brattleboro,  Martha  Stewart.  She  was  b. 
August  15,  1774,  at  Brattleboro.  About  1800,  they  moved  to 
Stukeley,  Canada.  He  was  a  farmer.  He  d.  March  19,  1835; 
she  d.  June  12,  1850 ;  both  at  Abbotsford,  Province  of  Quebec. 

Children  of  Willliam  and  Martha  (Stewart)  Avery: 

1556.  i.       Charles',  b.  June  26,  1802,  at  Stukeley,  Province  of  Quebec. 

1557.  ii.      Lucinda',  b.  March  26,  1804,  at  Stukeley. 

1558.  iii.     John  Stewart',  b.  Oct.  14,  1806,  at  Stukeley. 

1559.  iv.     Mary  Ann',  b,  March  6,  1816,  at  Abbotsford. 

625.  Zipporah*^  Avery  {Solomon"^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Feb.  8,  1752,  at  Preston;  m.  Daniel 
Chapman,  of  Groton.    They  moved  to  Great  Barrington,  Mass. 

626.  Esther''  Avery  (Solomon^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James-, 
Christopher'^)  was  b.  Nov.  29,  1754,  at  New  Haven;  m.  Ezra 
Chapman,  of  Groton.    They  moved  to  Great  Barrington,  Mass. 

627.  Solomon*^  Avery  {Solomo7i^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  Aug.  13,  1757,  at  Norwich;  m. 
Jan.  13,  1784,  at  New  York  City,  Sally  Buckbee,  dau.  of  John  and 
Mary  (Hyatt)  Buckbee.  She  was  b.  April  1,  1766,  at  West- 
chester, N.  Y. ;  d.  May  12,  1828,  at  Putnam  Valley,  N.  Y.  He  m. 
2d,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Purdy.  He  served  as  private  in  Capt.  Spicer's 
CO.,  Col.  Parson's  reg't ;  also  in  Capt.  Gallup's  militia ;  later  in 
Capt.  Thomas  Wheeler's  reg't,  Col.  Chapman's  reg't  {Co7in.  Men 
in  the  Rev'n  78) .  He  was  a  farmer  of  wealth  and  influence.  He 
lived  at  Putnam  Valley,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  May  13,  1833.  No 
children. 

628.  Miles*'  Avery  {Solomon^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James', 
Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  5,  1760,  at  Norwich;  m.  Nov.,  1783, 
at  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  Malinda  Pixley,  dau.  of  William  and 


1561. 

ii. 

1562. 

iii. 

1563. 

iv. 

1564. 

V. 

1565. 

vi. 

The  Sixth  Generation  359 

Rachel  Pixley.  She  was  bap.  Aug.  4,  1774,  with  three  older  chil- 
dren, at  First  Congregational  Church  of  Great  Barrington.  He 
served  in  Capt.  Hyde's  co.,  Col.  John  Durkie's  reg't,  as  corporal, 
1779 ;  sergeant,  1780,  1781 ;  was  at  Germantown,  Valley  Forge, 
Monmouth,  Stony  Point,  and  on  the  Hudson;  was  pensioned  as 
sergeant  in  1818  (Conn.  Men  in  the  Rev'n,  pp.  185,  319,  640). 
He  was  justice  of  the  peace  from  1810  to  1844,  inclusive  (Mass. 
State  Registers) .  In  deeds  recorded  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  he  is 
called  "Gentleman."  She  d.  Oct.  1,  1827;  he  d.  June  27,  1850, 
both  at  Great  Barrington. 

Children  of  Miles  and  Malinda  (Pixley)  Avery,  b.  at  Great 
Barrington,  Mass.: 

1560.     i.       Horace',  b.  Sept.  4,  1784. 

Lucy',  b.  Feb.  11,  1786. 

Isaac',  b.  Aug.  3,  1787. 

Harry',  b.  July  30,  1789. 

Amanda',  b.  April  27,  1799;    m.  Isaac  Avery  (No.  157G). 

Polly',  b.  June  13,  1802. 

629.  Stephen*'  Avery  {Solomon^,  Humphreif,  Samuel"^, 
James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Aug.  13,  1762,  at  Groton;  m.  at 
Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  Sarah  Bement.  She  d.  Feb.,  1816.  He 
was  a  pensioner  of  the  Revolution,  living  at  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  in 
1833,  and  at  Manheim,  N.  Y.,  in  1840.  He  m.  2d,  Mrs.  Renewey 
(Carpenter)  Maxson,  who  d.  about  1819;  he  m.  3d,  Jan.  1,  1820, 
Mrs.  Anna  (DeLapp)  Reynolds;  she  d.  in  Herkimer  County,  in 
1840 ;   he  d.  Oct.,  1842,  at  Manheim. 

Children  of  Stephen  and  Sarah  (Bement)  Avery: 

Jerusha';    m.  Ira  Shepard. 

Humphrey',  b.  April  14,  1785,  at  Stockbridge,  Mass. 

Solomon',  b.  Dec.  15,  1788,  at  Stockbridge. 

Lathen',  b.  Sept.  9,  1790. 

Sally',  b.  March  12,  1792. 

Hannah',  b.  Nov.,  1793;    m.  Abel  Hopson. 

1572.  vii.    Stephen',  b.  Aug.,  1795. 
viii.  Clarissa',  b.  March  12,  1798;    d.  Jan.  17,  1815;    unm. 

1573.  ix.     Electra',  b.  Jan.  17,  1800;  m.  Parker  Dodge;  2d,  Ira  Barnes. 
No  children. 

1574.  X.      Amelia',  b.  June  10,  1803,  at  Fairfield,  N.  Y. 

1575.  xi.     Henry  Beright',  b.  Dec.  6,  1807,  at  Fairfield. 

1576.  xii.    Isaac',  b.  April  11,  1810,  at  Fairfield. 

1577.  xiii.  John',  b.  Sept.  28,  1812,  at  Fairfield. 


1566. 

1, 

1567. 

ii. 

1568. 

iii. 

1569. 

iv. 

1570. 

V. 

1571. 

vi. 

360  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

630.  Ebenezer  Punderson'  Avery  {Solomon^,  Humphrey*, 
Samuel^,  James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  May  21,  1765,  at  Groton; 
m.  Jan.  12,  1787,  at  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  Lovina  Barnes, 
dau.  of  Phineas  and  Phebe  (Bement)  Barnes.  She  was  b.  March 
10,  1767,  at  Great  Barrington.  He  assisted  in  caring  for  the 
wounded  after  the  massacre  at  Fort  Griswold.  He  Hved  at  Great 
Barrington;  later  removed  to  the  "Royal  Grants,"  Herkimer 
County,  N.  Y. ;  in  1796,  he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Pompey,  N.  Y. 
He  was  a  skillful  mechanic  and  was  constantly  engaged  in  build- 
ing grist-,  saw-,  fulling-,  and  cider-mills,  carding  machines,  tan- 
neries, and  threshing  machines,  and  was  the  inventor  of  a 
successful  plow.  He  was  captain  of  the  5th  co.,  1st  reg't, 
Onondaga  militia,  1801,  and  resigned  in  1805.  He  d.  Sept.  10, 
1840 ;  she  d.  March  30,  1847,  both  at  Pompey,  N.  Y. 

Children  of  Ebenezer  Punderson  and  Lovina  (Barnes) 
Avery : 

1578.  i.  Hannah  Punderson',  b.  Dec.  3,  1787. 

1579.  ii,  Sally  Bement",  b.  Sept.  1,  1789. 

1580.  iii.  Lucy',  b.  March  14,  1791. 

1581.  iv.  William',  b.  Aug.  16,  1793. 

1582.  V.  Phebe',  b.  Oct.  31,  1795. 

1583.  vi.  Candace',  b.  Nov.  9,  1797. 

1584.  vii.  LuCETTA',  b.  Oct.  26,  1799. 

1585.  viii.  Perlena',  b.  Dec.  10,  1802. 

1586.  ix.  Perlina',  b.  Dec.  10,  1802. 

1587.  X.  Cyrus',  b.  July  28,  1807. 

1588.  xi.  Nancy',  b.  Sept.  8,  1809. 

1589.  xii.  Samuel',  b.  Feb.  18,  1812. 

631.  Henry''  A\QYy  {Solomon^,  Humphrey^  Samuel^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  May  4,  1767,  at  Groton;  m.  May  20,  1795, 
at  East  Taghkanic,  N.  Y.,  Hannah  Rockefeller,  dau.  of  "Jersey" 
William  and  Christina  (Rockefeller)  Rockefeller,  of  German- 
town,  N.  Y.,  and  sister  of  Godfrey  Rockefeller  (No.  1561). 
She  was  b.  Aug.  5,  1780,  at  East  Taghkanic.  He  was  the  first 
supervisor  of  Taghkanic  and  held  that  office  fourteen  years ;  was 
justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty-eight  years.  He  d.  March  25, 
1853,  at  West  Taghkanic;  she  d.  at  the  same  place,  Feb.  4,  1865; 
buried  in  the  M.  E.  burying-ground,  West  Taghkanic. 

Children  of  Henry  and  Hannah  (Rockefeller)  Avery,  b.  at 
West  Taghkanic : 


The  Sixth  Generation  361 

1590.  i.  William',  b.  Oct.  16,  1796. 

1591.  ii.  Hannah',  b.  Jan.  24,  1800. 

1592.  iii.  Amanda',  b.  July  17,  1802. 

1593.  iv.  Henry  Cyrus',  b.  Oct.  26,  1803. 

1594.  V.  Sally',  b.  Aug.  15,  1805. 

1595.  vi.  Peter  R.',  b.  March  20,  1807. 

1596.  vii.  Elizabeth',  b.  Oct.  16,  1808. 

1597.  viii.  Lucinda',  b.  Sept.  10,  1810. 

1598.  ix.  Solomon',  b.  Oct.  17,  1812. 

1599.  X.  Caroline',  b.  Oct.  16,  1814. 

1600.  xi.  Jacob',  b.  June  11,  1816. 

1601.  xii.  Esther',  b.  Aug.  25,  1819. 

1602.  xiii.  Stephen',  b.  May  10,  1822. 

632.  Cyrus"  Avery  {Solomon^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James'-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  May  12,  1771,  at  Norwich;  m.  May  16, 
1791,  at  Tunkhannock,  Penn.,  Lydia  Marcy,  dau.  of  Zebulon 
and  Jerusha  (Conant)  Marcy.  She  was  b.  Jan.  3,  1772,  in  the 
Wyoming  Valley,  Pa.  Cyrus  Avery  was  an  extensive  land  owner, 
having  more  than  a  thousand  acres  on  Tunkhannock  Creek.  He 
was  justice  of  the  peace  many  years  and  a  colonel  of  militia.  His 
commission  is  in  the  possession  of  the  family.  His  wife  died 
June  18,  1817 ;  he  d.  Feb.  28,  1833,  both  at  Tunkhannock. 

Children  of  Cyrus  and  Lydia  (Marcy)  Avery,  b.  at  Tunk- 
hannock : 

1603.  1.   Miles',  b.  Dec.  28,  1791. 

ii.   Zebulon',  b.  May  12,  1793;  died  same  day. 

1604.  ill.  Zebulon',  b.  July  7,  1794. 

iv.  Solomon',  b.  July  28,  1796;  d.  y. 

V.  Nicholas',  b.  Sept.  19,  1797;  d.  y. 

1605.  vi.  Jerusha',  b.  Dec.  3,  1798. 

1606.  vii.  Sally',  b.  Feb.  5,  1801;   m. Wright;   d.  May  3,  1828, 

at  Tunkhannock. 

1607.  viii.  Cyrus  Henry',  b.  July  28,  1803. 

ix.     Humphrey',  b.  Nov.  14,  1805;    d.  April  9,  1820. 
X.      Lydia',  b.  March  5,  1808;   d.  Nov.  30,  1831;   unm. 

1608.  xi.     Abel  Marcy',  b.  July  29,  1811. 

1609.  xii.    Punderson',  b.  July  31,  1814. 

1610.  xiii.  Joseph  Conant',  b.  June  9,  1817. 

634.  Sibyl  Noyes"  Avery  (Samuel^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  at  Groton  about  1761;  m.  Jan.  8, 
1781,  in  Vermont,  Ezra  Stiles,  s.  of  Ezra  and  Elizabeth  (Hub- 
bard)  Stiles.     He  was  b.  March  11,  1759.     He  was  graduated 


362  The   Groton  Avery  Clan 


from  Harvard  in  1778.    He  d.  Aug.  22,  1784,  at  Edenton,  N.  C. 
She  m.  2d,  Elisha  Avery  (No.  623,  q.  v.). 

Children  of  Ezra  and  Sibyl  Noyes  (Avery)  Stiles: 

i.       Elizabeth  Hubbard',  b.  April  15,  1782,  at  Keene,  N.  H.;   m. 
John  Denio. 

ii.      Emelia   Harriet',   b.    Feb.   9,   1784,   at   Groton;     m.  

Clark,  of  Henrietta,  N.  Y. 

635.  Samuel  William"  Avery  (Samuel^  Humphrey*,  Sam- 
uel\  James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  June  28,  1779;  m.  Dec,  1806, 
probably  at  Owego,  N.  Y.,  Eliza  A.  Wattles,  dau.  of  Gen.  Mason 
Wattles  of  the  Revolution.  She  d.  Sept.  10,  1814.  He  m.  2d,  Jan. 
16,  1816,  at  Aurora,  N.  Y.,  Emily  Caroline  Avery,  dau.  of  Daniel 
and  Lydia  (Avery)  Avery  (No.  1002).  She  was  b.  July  2,  1793. 
He  was  lieu't,  first  artillery  co.,  sixth  reg't,  Tioga  and  Broome 
counties,  N.  Y.,  in  1810 ;  captain  in  1812 ;  resigned  about  1815 
(Military  Records  of  New  York,  pp.  1164,  1388,  1605).  She  d. 
Sept.  18,  1822 ;  he  d.  Dec.  28,  1828. 

Child  of  Samuel  William  and  Eliza  A.  (Wattles)  Avery: 

1611.  i.       Samuel  M.',  b.  Aug.  25,  1807. 

Children  of  Samuel  William  and  Emily  Caroline   (Avery) 

Avery : 

1612.  i.  Eliza  Wattles',  b.  Dec.  30,  1816. 

1613.  ii.  Daniel  Humphrey',  b.  Dec.  30,  1818. 

iii.  Walter  Oddie',  b.  Aug.  3,  1820;    d.  March  7,  1839. 

iv.  Emily  Caroline',  b.  June  20,  1822;    d.  July,  1826. 

636.  John  Humphrey'  Avery  (Samuel^  Humphrey',  Sam- 
uel\  James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Nov.  4,  1782;  m.  Nov.  3,  1806, 
Stella  Seeley  Hinchman  dau.  of  Dr.  Joseph  and  Zerviah  (Seeley) 
Hinchman.  She  was  b.  Oct.  25,  1788.  Her  father  was  a  soldier 
of  the  Revolution.  John  Humphrey  Avery  was  a  lawyer;  rep- 
resented his  district  in  the  state  legislature  in  1814.  None  of  his 
sons  married. 

Children  of  John  Humphrey  and  Stella  Seeley  (Hinchman) 

Avery : 

i.       Humphrey  John',  b.  July  13,  1808;   d.  July  27,  1821. 

1614.  ii.  Stella  Hinchman',  b.  Feb.  12,  1810;   m.  Cuyler  Hosmer. 
iii.  George  Waitstill',  b.  Feb.  12,  1812;    d.  Dec.  23,  1849. 

1615.  iv.  Susan  Palmes',  b.  Nov.  29,  1813;    m.  R.  D.  Pieronet. 

1616.  V.  Emily  Eliza',  b.  Oct.  10,  1815;    m.  Judge  Farrington. 


The   Sixth  Generation  363 


vi.     Charles  Pumpelly',  b.  July  3,  1817;    d.  1872. 
vii.    Joseph  Hinchman',  b.  Nov.  29,  1819;    d.  March  9,  1821. 
viii.  Mary  Ann',  b.  May  1,  1822;    single  in  1888. 
ix.     Fannie  Catharine^  b.  Nov.  25,  1823;   d.  Oct.  16,  1825. 
1617.     X.      Lesbia  PLAxr,  b.  Oct.  2,  1825;    m.  Isaac  Newton  Jerome, 
xi.     Guy  Hinchman',  b.  Aug.  30,  1829;    d   1903,  at  New  York. 

637.  Frances"  Avery  (Samuel^,  Hiimvhreif,  Samuel^,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Sept.  9,  1785,  at  Westminster,  Vt. ;  m.  Sept. 
3,  1803,  at  Owego,  N.  Y.,  Charles  Pumpelly,  s.  of  John  and 
Hannah  (Bushnell)  Pumpelly.  He  was  b.  Dec.  8,  1789,  at  Salis- 
bury, Conn.  He  was  in  the  war  of  1812 ;  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  Owego;  had  a  large  landed  estate;  was  supervisor  many 
years ;  represented  his  district  in  the  New  York  assembly.  She 
d.  Oct.  21,  1848;  he  d.  March  9,  1855,  both  at  Owego. 

Children  of  Charles  and  Fiances   (Avery)   Pumpelly,  b.  at 

Owego : 

i.      John    Charles',  b.   Oct.   28,    1804;     d.    March    9,    1830,   at 

Owego ;    unm. 
ii.      Mary  Ann',  b.  Dec.  31,  1806;    m.  George  Bacon;    d.  Feb.  11, 

1845,  at  Owego. 
iii,     Susan  Isabella',  b.  April  24,  1809;   m.  George  James  Pum- 
pelly;   d.  July  30,  1864,  at  Owego. 
iv.     Frances  Eliza',  b.  March  19,  1811;    m.  Joseph  S.  Bosworth; 

d.  March  30,  1879,  at  New  York  City. 
V.      Catharine  Ann',  b.  Feb.  28,  1813;    m.  John  Mason  Parker, 

judge  of  the  supreme  court;    d.  Dec.  30,  1845,  at  Owego. 
vi.     Harriet  Amelia',  b.  June  27,  1815;    m.   Theodore  Freling- 

huysen,  president  of  Princeton  College;    d.  Feb.  8,  1876, 

at  Owego. 
vii.    Stella  Avery',  b.  Sept.  19,  1817;    m.  John  Mason  Parker, 

widower  of  her  sister,  Catharine  Ann;    d.  Sept.  28,  1894, 

at  Owego. 
viii.  Caroline  Augusta',  b.  Feb.  6,  1820;    died  unm. 
ix.     James',  b.  Sept.  23,  1822;   d.  Dec.  3,  1823,  at  Owego. 
X.      Lydia  Abby',  b.  June  26,  1827;    m.  James  Forsyth,  president 

of  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute;    d.  Aug.  12,  1876,  at 

Troy,  N.  Y. 

638.  Susan*'  Avery  (Samuel^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James^, 
Christopher')  was  b.  March  31,  1787;  m.  Nathan  Camp.  Thej^ 
lived  at  Owego,  N.  Y.    She  d.  Aug.  4,  1813. 

Child  of  Nathan  and  Susan  (Avery)  Camp: 
i.       Frederick  M.';    m.  Sarah  Piatt. 


364  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 


639.  Isabella^  Avery  (SamueP,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,  James^, 
Christopher')  was  b.  June  24,  1789;  m.  Levi  Leonard.  He  was 
b.  July  4,  1790.    She  d.  Aug.  20,  1842 ;  he  d.  Aug.,  1862. 

Children  of  Levi  and  Isabella  (Avery)  Leonard : 

i.       Susan',  m.  William  B.  Wood. 

ii.      William'. 

iii.     Mary',  died  young. 

iv.     Charles  F.',  b.  Jan.  10,  1830;   m.  Esther  Ann  Davenport. 

640.  Martha*^ Avery  {James^,  Humphrey^  SamueP,  James-, 
Christopher')  was  b.  Aug.  22,  1773;  m.  Feb.  18,  1798,  Moses 
Benjamin,  s.  of  David  and  Lucy  (Parke)  Benjamin.  He  was  b. 
July  5,  1774,  at  Preston.  He  was  a  captain  in  the  West  India 
trade.  She  d.  Sept.  12,  1800,  at  Norwich.  He  m.  2d,  Jerusha 
Avery  (No.  643). 

Children  of  Moses  and  Martha    (Avery)    Benjamin,  b.  at 

Norwich : 

i.       Charles',    b.   Dec.   28,   1798;     m.   Lucy   Harvey;     2d,   Olive 

Harvey;    d.  at  Georgetown,  Demerara,  British  Guiana, 
ii.      George',  b.  July  23,  1800;    d.  Feb.  20,  1840,  at  Georgetown; 
unm. 

641.  James"  Avery  (James^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel"",  James^, 
Christopher')  was  b.  April  19,  1776  (tombstone)  ;  m.  March  10, 
1811,  at  Preston,  Hannah  Pride,  dau.  of  Absalom  and  Huldah 
(Brewster)  Pride,  and  a  descendant  of  Elder  Brewster.  She  was 
b.  July  26,  1791  (tombstone).  He  d.  at  Preston,  June  13,  1846; 
she  d.  March  28,  1869,  at  Norwich;  both  are  buried  at  Brew- 
ster's Neck,  Preston. 

Children  of  James  and  Hannah  (Pride)  Avery,  b.  at  Pres- 
ton: 

Martha  Pride',  b.  May  3,  1812;    d.  March  26,  1833;   unm. 
Jerusha',  b.  July  18,  1815;    d.  Feb.  21,  1816. 
Huldah',  b.  March  4,  1817. 
Francis  Smith',  b.  Sept.  19,  1819. 

Jerusha  Adelaide',  b.  Aug.  30,  1823.  j, 

Mary  Esther',  b.  Nov.  1,  1825.  S'; 

1622.    vii.    George  Benjamin',  b.  Aug.  19,  1828. 

642.  Christopher''  Avery  (James%  Humphrey*,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christojjher^)  was  b.  Sept.  5,  1778;  m.  Anna  Stanton. 
He  d.  July  28,  1801,  at  Demerara,  British  Guiana;  she  d.  Aug. 
13,  1808. 


1. 

11. 

1618. 

iii. 

1619. 

iv. 

1620. 

V. 

1621. 

vi. 

The  Sixth  Generation  365 

643.  Jerusha"  Avery  (James^,  Humphrey^  Samuel^,  James\ 
ChnstopheV)  was  b.  March  16,  1781;  m.  Dec.  15,  1801,  at  Pres- 
ton, Moses  Benjamin,  the  widower  of  her  sister,  Martha  (No. 
640).  She  d.  Aug.  9,  1803,  at  Norwich.  He  m.  two  other  wives 
and  d.  July  5,  1813,  at  Norwich. 

Child  of  Moses  and  Jerusha  (Avery)  Benjamin,  b.  at  Nor- 
wich : 

i.       Moses',  b.  Nov.  25,  1802;    d.  in  Demerara,  British  Guiana; 
unm. 

644.  Benjamin"  Avery  {James^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,. 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Nov.  16,  1783;  m.  Annis  Patchen, 
dau.  of  Nathan  and  Elizabeth  (Dudley)  Patchen. 

Children  of  Benjamin  and  Annis  (Patchen)  Avery: 
1.       Henry  James',  a  physician;    d.  unm. 

1623.  ii.      Caroline  Jerusha';   m.  Amos  Slawson;    one  child,  Olivia. 

1624.  iii.     Betsy  Maria',  b.  April  1,  1815,  at  Berlin,  N.  Y. 
iv.     Sarah  Martha',  d.  June  4,  1883;   unm. 

1625.  V.      Benjamin  Franklin',  b.  Aug.  10,  1819. 

645.  Henry  Clinton''  Avery  {James^,  Humphrey*,  Samuel^,. 
James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Nov.  11,  1790;  m.  Oct.  22,  1815,  at 
Poquetanuck,  Sarah  Chapman,  dau.  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth 
(Allyn)  Chapman.  She  was  b.  April  1,  1796,  at  Ledyard.  He 
was  a  grocer  at  Norwich.  He  d.  Sept.  9,  1822,  at  Preston;  she 
d.  July  8,  1884,  at  Poquetanuck. 

Children  of  Henry  Clinton  and  Sarah  (Chapman)  Avery,  b. 
at  Poquetannock : 

1626.  i.      Elizabeth  Maria',  b.  June  22,  1817. 

ii.      John   Henry',  b.  June  16,  1822;    d.   Oct.   17,   1847,  at  Po- 
quetanuck;   unm. 

647.  Polly  Myra*'  Avery  {WaightstilV',  Humphrey*,  Sam- 
uel^, James-,  Christopher')  was  b.  Aug.  24,  1779,  in  Burke 
County,  N.  C;  m.  July,  1796,  Caleb  Poor;  2d,  1823,  Jacob 
Summey,  of  Asheville,  N.  C.  She  d.  Feb.  20,  1857,  in  Henderson 
County,  N.  C.  She  was  a  woman  of  strong  character  which  she 
impressed  upon  her  children  and  her  children's  children. 

Children  of  Caleb  and  Polly  Myra  (Avery)  Poor,  b.  in 
Burke  County,  N.  C: 


366  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

i.       Edwin',  b.  1797;    d.  1829. 

ii.      Polly  Osgood',  b.  1799;    m.  John  McLean;    d.  1881.     Their 

oldest  child,  Margaret  Adeline",  m.  Leander  Sams  Gash. 

She  d.  in  1890.     Their  oldest  child,   Thomas  Lenoir',  m. 

Davie  Anne  Deaver,  in  1870.     Their  son,  Robert  Lenoir"' 

Gash,  lives  at  Brevard,  N.  C.     The  youngest  child  of  John 

and  Polly  Osgood   (Poor)    McLean,  Harriet  Amanda'",  m. 

Charles  Manson  Greer.     Their  son,  G.  A.  Greer,  lives  at 

Asheville,  N.  C. 
iii.     Leah  Caroline',  b.  1800;    m.  John  Span, 
iv.     Phoebe',  b.  1803;    d.  1833. 
V.      William  PROBARr,  b.  1806;  m.  Elizabeth  Emeline  McCarson; 

2d,  Sarah  Ann  Wilson;    d.  1889. 
vi.    Isaac  Thomas',  b.  1808;   d.  1842. 
vii.    Milton',  b.  1812;    d.  1828. 

648.  Elizabeth'^  Avery  {WaightstilP,  Humphrey^,  Samuel^, 
James-,  Christopher'')  was  b.  Aug.,  1782,  in  Burke  County,  N.  C; 
m.  about  1802,  at  Swan  Ponds,  Burke  County,  N.  C,  William 
Ballard  Lenoir,  s.  of  General  William  and  Ann  (Ballard) 
Lenoir.  He  was  b.  Sept.  1,  1775,  in  Wilkes  County,  Tenn. ;  d. 
Feb.  14,  1852,  at  Lenoir,  Tenn. 

Children  of  William  Ballard  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Lenoir: 
i.  Albert  Sobieski',  b.  Aug.  30,  1803.  in  North  Carolina;  m. 
March  2,  1837,  in  Roane  County,  Tenn.,  Catharine  Frie- 
ling  Welcker,  dau.  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Inman) 
Welcker.  She  was  b.  March  18,  1819,  in  Roane  County. 
He  d.  Nov.  28,  1861;  she  d.  Oct.  15,  1889,  in  Loudon 
County,  Tenn.  Their  oldest  daughter,  Elizabeth'',  m.  July 
1,  1857,  in  Roane  County,  David  McKendree  Key,  s.  of  the 
Rev.  John  Henry  and  Mai-garet  (Armitage)  Key.  He 
was  b.  Jan.  27,  1824,  at  Greenboro,  Tenn.  He  was  an 
officer  in  the  Confederate  ai-my;  U.  S.  senator  from 
Tenn.;  postmaster-general  under  President  Hayes;  U.  S. 
district  judge.  He  d.  Feb.  3,  1900,  at  Chattanooga.  Her 
address  is  511  Poplar  St.,  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  Her  oldest 
daughter,  Emma",  m.  William  Baker  Thompson,  lieut.  in 
the  11th  Michigan  Vol.  Cavalry  and  the  creator  of  the 
U.  S.  railway  postal  service;  she  d.  March  30,  1886,  at 
Chattanooga.  No  children, 
ii.  Louisa  Caroline",  b.  1805;  m.  Reynolds  A.  Ramsey;  d.  Aug. 
12,  1841.  Their  son,  Thomas  Isaac"  Ramsey,  m.  Jane 
Amelia  Cunningham  Boyd,  dau.  of  William  Houston 
Boyd.     Their  address  is  222  Utica  St.,  San  Antonio,  Tex. 


The  Sixth  Generation  367 

They  have  children,  Annie",   Waight still",  and   Thomas"; 

Thomas  was  b.  April  26,  1877;    m.  Nov.  26,  1907,  Edith 

Mary  Springall. 
iii.     Isaac  Thomas',  m.  Mary  Caroline  Hogg;    d.  Dec.  7,  1875. 
iv.     Leah  Adeline",  m.  John  Y.  Smith;    d.  July  22,  1879. 
V.      Myra  Ann',  m.  Gen.  James  H.  Reagan;    d.  March  8,  1879. 
vi.     William',  b.  Jan.  20,  1813;    d.  June  16,  1878;    unm. 
vii.    Waightstill  Avery',  b.  Jan.  19,  1815;    m.  Isabella  Hume; 

d.  March  6,  1884. 
viii.  Walter   Franklin',  b.   Nov.   21,   1816;    m.   Elizabeth   God- 

dard.      She  d.   Jan.    10,   1855.     He  m.  2d,  July   7,   1857, 

Hattie  Osborne.    He  d.  Sept.  1,  1878;   she  d.  June  5,  1907. 
ix.     Eliza  Martha',  b.  Dec.  23,  1818;    m.  Col.  John  Martin;    d. 

March  4,  1894,  at  Paris,  Texas. 
X.      Benjamin  Ballard',  b.  March  5,  1821,  at  Lenoir,  Tenn. ;    m. 

Nov.  27,  1855,  Henrietta  Rutledge  Ramsey;    she  d.  May 

25,   1864.      He   m.   2d,    Margaret   Virginia    Siler.      He   d. 

March  13,  1905,  at  Lenoir,  Tenn. 
xi.     Israel  Pickins',  b.  Sept.  21,  1823;    d.  Dec.  21,  1876. 
xii.    Julia  Joyce',  b.  1826;    d.  Dec.  18,  1841. 

649.  Isaac  Thomas^  Avery  {WaightstiW,  Humphrey*,  Sam- 
uel^, James'-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  Sept.  22,  1785,  at  Swans 
Ponds,  N.  C;  m.  June  27,  1815,  at  Belvidere,  N.  C,  Harriet 
Eloise  Erwin,  daii.  of  Col.  William  Willoughby  and  Matilda 
(Sharpe)  Erwin.  She  was  b.  May  3,  1795,  at  Belvidere.  She 
was  a  descendant  of  Col.  William  Sharpe  of  the  first  congress, 
of  David  Reese  who  signed  the  Mecklenberg  resolutions  (See 
Avery's  History  of  the  United  States  and  Its  People,  vol.  5,  p. 
356),  and  of  others  illustrious  in  North  Carolina  history.  Isaac 
Thomas  Avery  was  a  fine  Latin  scholar;  a  successful  farmer, 
and  the  largest  raiser  of  cattle  and  horses  in  his  section  of  the 
country ;  cashier  of  the  Morganton  bank ;  member  of  the  state 
legislature  and  of  the  governor's  council.  He  left  a  large  estate. 
She  d.  Aug.  4,  1858;  he  d.  Dec.  31,  1864;  both  at  Swan  Ponds. 
Children    of   Isaac   Thomas   and   Harriet   Eloise    (Erwin) 

Avery,  b.  at  Swan  Ponds,  N.  C. : 

1627.  i.       William  Waightstill',  b.  May  25,  1816. 
ii.      Child',  twin  to  above;    died  the  same  day. 

iii.     Theodore  Horatio',  b.  Sept.,  1817;    d.  Oct.  3,  1822. 

1628.  iv.     Clark  Moulton',  b.  Oct.  3,  1819. 

v.      Thomas  Lenoir',  b.  March  16,  1821;   d.  Sept.  23,  1852. 
vi.     Leah  Adelaide',  b.  Dec.  20,  1822;    d.  Jan.  20,  1897;    unm. 


368  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

vii.    Matilda  Louise^  b.  Oct.  4,  1824;   d.  July  3,  1825. 

viii.  Child',  b.  May  8,  1826;    d.  July  18,  1826. 

ix.     Marcus',  b.  Oct.  4,  1827;   d.  Feb.  22,  1828. 

X.  Isaac  Irwin',  b.  Dec.  20,  1828;  d.  July  3,  1863,  in  the  Con- 
federate army  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg;  unm.  He 
was  colonel  of  the  sixth  N.  C.  reg't. 

1629.  xi.     Mary  Ann  Martha',  b.  May  25,  1831. 

1630.  xii.    JusTiNA  Harriet',  b.  Sept.  22,  1833. 

1631.  xiii.  Alphonso  Calhoun',  b.  Sept.  11,  1835. 
xiv.  Laura  Myra',  b.  Nov.  15,  1837. 

XV.    Edward  Dolbeare',  b.  Sept.  26,  1839;   d.  Dec.  1,  1848. 

1632.  xvi.  Willoughby  Francis',  b.  May  7,  1843. 

650.  Selina  Louisa "^  Avery  {WaightstiW,  Humphrey^  Sam- 
uel^, James-,  Christopher'^)  was  b.  Oct.  27,  1788,  at  Swan  Ponds, 
N.  C. ;  m.  about  1807,  at  Swan  Ponds,  Thomas  Lenoir,  s.  of 
Gen.  William  and  Ann  (Ballard)  Lenoir,  and  brother  of  her 
sister  Elizabeth's  husband.  He  was  b.  May  2,  1780,  at  Fort 
Defiance,  N.  C.  He  d.  Jan.  15,  1861 ;  she  d.  Sept.  21,  1864,  both 
at  Fort  Defiance. 

Children  of  Thomas  and  Selina  Louisa  (Avery)  Lenoir: 

i.       William  Avery',  b.  June  18,  1808,  at  Forks  of  Pigeon,  N.  C; 

m.  Jane  Keziah  Derr;    d.  May  1,  1862,  at  Lenoir,  N.  C. 
ii.      Ann  Eliza',  b.  March  15,  1811;    d.  April  26,  1812,  at  Forks 

of  Pigeon, 
iii.     Selina  Louisa',  b.  March  18,  1813,  at  Forks  of  Pigeon;    m. 
Samuel  Pickins;    d.  March  29,  1836,  at  Greensboro,  Ala. 
iv.     Laura  Leah  Caroline',  b.  June  6,  1815,  at  Forks  of  Pigeon; 
m.  Joseph  Caldwell  Norwood;    d.  Feb.  3,  1894,  in  Loudon 
County,  Tenn. 
V.      Thomas  Isaac',  b.  Aug.  26,  1817,  at  Forks  of  Pigeon;    m. 
Mary   Elizabeth   Garrett;     d.  Jan.   5,   1882,  at   Forks  of 
Pigeon, 
vi.     Mary  Ann  Myra',  b.  July  21,  1819,  at  Forks  of  Pigeon;    m. 

James  Gwyn;    d.  1898,  at  Green  Hill,  N.  C. 
vii.    Sarah  Joyce',  b.   March  15,  1821,  at  Forks  of  Pigeon;    d. 

Jan.  21,  1899,  at  Fort  Defiance, 
viii.  Walter  Waightstill',  b.  March  13,  1823,  at  Fort  Defiance; 
m.  Cornelia  Isabelle  Christian;  d.  July  26,  1900,  in 
Watauga  County,  N.  C. 
ix.  RuFUS  Theodore',  b.  Dec.  15,  1825,  at  Fort  Defiance;  m. 
Feb.  18,  1857,  at  Elkin,  N.  C,  Sarah  Leonora  Gwyn,  dau. 
of  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Hunt)  Gwyn.  She  was  b. 
April  13,  1833,  at  Elkin.  He  is  a  farmer  in  the  Yadkin 
Valley. 


The  Sixth  Generation  369 

652.  Margaret  Stringer''  Avery  {Isaac',  Humphrey^  Sam- 
uel', James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  March  19,  1789,  in  Warren 
County,  Va. ;  m.  March  8,  1820,  in  Burke  County,  N.  C,  John 
Murphy,  s.  of  James  Murphy;  2d,  May  21,  1829,  John  CoUett; 
d.  Aug-.  14,  1842. 

Children  of  John  and  Margaret  Stringer  (Avery)  Murphy: 
i.       Eliza  M;,  b.  Dec.  20,  1820;    m.  Thomas  George  Walton, 
ii.      Sarah   Lauretta',  b.  May  16,  1822;    m.  Alexander  Francis 

Gaston;    2d,  William  C.  Erwin;    d.  June,  1864. 
iii.     James  Isaac',  b.  July  22,  1823;   d.  young, 
iv.     Harriet   Louisa',   b.    Oct.    13,   1825;     m.   William   Mclntyre 

Walton. 
V.      John  Hugh',  b.  Feb.  14,  1827;    m.  Clara  Irwin  Patton. 

Child  of  John  and  Marg-aret  Stringer  (Avery)  Collett: 

i.       Waitstill  Avery',  b.  Jan.  28,  1830;    m.  Mary  Caldwell,  dau. 
of  Gdv.  Todd  R.  Caldwell;    d.  July  9,  1880. 

653.  James''  Avery  (Isaac'',  Humphrey^  SamueV\  James-, 
Christopher^)  was  b.  Oct.  25,  1791;  m.  March  6,  1823,  in  Burke 
County,  N.  C,  Elizabeth  Brown,  dau.  of  Daniel  and  Hannah 
(Hollingsv^'orth)  Brown.  She  was  b.  Oct.  2,  1799,  in  McDowell 
County,  N.  C.  He  was  a  farmer.  He  d.  March  6,  1872 ;  she  d. 
in  1877,  both  in  Burke  County. 

Children  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Avery,  b.  in 
Burke  County : 

Margaret  Ann',  b.  Dec.  10,  1823. 
Isaac  Theodore',  b.  July  10,  1825. 
Hannah  Elvira',  b.  Feb.  22,  1827. 
William  Brown',  b.  Nov.  25,  1828. 
Mary  Matilda',  b.  Jan.  21,  1832. 
Harriet  Martha',  b.  May  31,  1834. 
Eliza  Murphy',  b.  May  22,  1836. 
viii.  Laura  Jane',  b.  Sept.  30,  1838. 
ix.     Henry  Harrison',  b.  July  15,   1840;    d.   Aug.   6,   1861,  at 
Yorktown,  Va.;    unm. 

654.  Elizabeth"  (or  Eliza  Elnora)  Avery  (Isaac-',  Hum- 
phrey*, SamueV,  James-,  Christopher^)  was  b.  1793,  in  Warwick 
County,  Va. ;  m.  April  5,  1825,  in  North  Carolina,  James  Make- 
mie  Oneil.  He  was  b.  Sept.  22,  1798.  He  was  a  wagon-maker 
and  lived  in  Burke  County,  N.  C.  She  d.  Dec.  9,  1849  ;  he  d.  Nov. 
26,  1861,  at  Manassas,  Va. 


1633. 

1. 

1634. 

ii. 

1635. 

iii. 

1636. 

iv. 

1637. 

V. 

1638. 

vi. 

1639. 

vii 

1640. 

vii 

370  The  Groton  Avery  Clan 

Children  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Avery)  Oneil,  b.  in  Burke 

County,  N.  C. : 

i.       Henry  Wastee',  b.  May  15,  1826. 

ii.     Julius  Theodore',  b.  Dec.  17,  1828.  ^ 

iii.     Margaret  Ann',  b.  July  4,  1830;    m.  Robert  R.  Mooney;    d. 

April  19,  1855. 
iv.     Harriet  Eliza',  b.  Sept.  23,  1832;    m.  James  W.  McGalliard; 

lives  near  Morganton,  N.  C. 
V.      Isaac   Patrick',  b.  Jan.  5,   1835;    m.  Mary   E.   Carper;    d. 

Aug.  2,  1878,  at  Salisbury,  N.  C. 

657.  WaitstilF  Avery  {Charles^,  Waitstill*,  Samuel^,  James- ^ 
Christopher^)  ;  m.  Amy  Wheeler.  He  served  in  Abel  Spicer's 
company  in  1775;  in  Jonathan  Calkins's  company  in  1777  {Conn. 
Men  in  the  Kev'n,  pp.  78,  505).  He  was  lieu't,  5th  co.,  3d  reg't, 
Oct.,  1785;  was  made  captain,  6th  co.,  3d  reg't,  Oct.,  1792  {Ms. 
State  Papers,  Hartford) .  They  lived  at  East  Stockbridge,  Mass., 
and  later  in  Bedford  Tp.,  Luzerne  County,  Penn.,  where  he  d. 
Nov.  2,  1807,  aged  50;  she  d.  Sept.  30,  1844,  at  West  Stock- 
bridge,  Mass.,  aged  88. 

Children  of  Waitstill  and  Amy  (Wheeler)  Avery: 

1641.  i.      Amy  Abigail',  b.  May  2,  1776. 

1642.  ii.      Rebecca',  b.  Sept.  23,  1790. 

1643.  iii.     Waitstill',  b.  Aug.  30,  1796,  at  Waterford,  Conn. 

1644.  iv.     Frederick',  b.  Feb.  27,  1799,  at  Waterford. 

658.  Lucy''  Avery  {Charles^,  Waitstill*,  Samuel^,  James-, 
Christopher^)  ;  m.  James  Strickland,  s.  of  Peter  and  Sarah 
(Williams)  Strickland. 

Children  of  James  and  Lucy  (Avery)  Strickland: 

i.       Apphia',  m.  Abel  Brown,  s.  of  Aaron  and  Rebecca   (Avery) 

Brown  (No.  1642). 
ii.